


Tales from Insomnia

by Elillierose



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: AU, Angst, Arguments, Banter, Blood, Bromance, Car Accident, Christmas, Coughing, De-Aged, Depression, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fainting, Fever, Fluff, Gen, Head Injury, High School, HighSpecs, History, Hurt/Comfort, Injury, Mistakes, Multi, Natural Disasters, Near Death Experiences, Near Drowning, Poison, Prince Prompto, Romance if you squint, Sickfic, Sneezing, Suicide Attempt, Teen Noctis, Teen Prompto, Vomit, Whump, concussion, kid prompto, mama ignis, request, whu, wound
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-11
Updated: 2019-11-11
Packaged: 2021-01-27 20:24:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 55
Words: 236,276
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21398149
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Elillierose/pseuds/Elillierose
Summary: This will be a mini series of requests I get from people, so of course, feel free to request after you read what kind of stuff I write. Tags and ratings will most likely change over time as stories get added, so just a fair warning, and yeah, enjoy. :DThis technically will never be complete for obvious reasons.***Reuploaded since it was unrightfully removed based on false abuse claims.***
Comments: 2
Kudos: 60





	1. High School Days

**Author's Note:**

> Request from Websky.
> 
> Beta read by: Sinikka_von_Wolperting
> 
> Summery: Sickfic with Prompto while still in high school. ^-^ Noctis takes matters into his own hands in taking care of him.

It should have been considered a crime to be this unbelievably bored; honestly, he didn't see the point of being here, not like he would benefit from it in the future or anything. The temptation for distraction was everywhere, the pencil in his hand, the phone in his pocket, and not to mention a certain blond behind him that was normally so prone to strike up conversation with him. He sighed heavily, waiting for the inevitable, 'Noct' accompanied by a light and precise tap on the shoulder. Waiting for nearly five minutes now, pushing six, the expected gesture never came. And, now that he thought about it, it was awfully silent back there. That wouldn't be such a worrying issue if it weren't for the fact that the guy didn't seem to know the meaning of quiet.

Concern now tugging needily at his mind, he turned his head just far enough to peer out of the corner of his eye, coming back a little more than confused to find the spot unnaturally void of life. He glanced around at the varying faces around him, settling on each one as if Prompto had merely just forgotten where his seat was and somehow placed himself in at all possible, the ramblings of their instructor seemed to drift off even further as all his focus went into his silent search. Of course, his investigation came up with not so agreeable results, not surprising seeing as the idea of it was a tad on the ridiculous side; he rolled his eyes to himself for even considering that possibility. 

Though, the more he let the idea simmer, the more it nagged at him. As far as he could recall, the other hadn't really missed any days; sure he was late on occasion from oversleeping or some other trivial reason, but he was never this late. His eyes fell to the lead tip of his pencil as it unconsciously dragged across his paper, forming small circles and squiggles, never coming together as any recognizable images. Mindless doodling only there to distract his anxious and hindering thoughts. Delving down into his alter dimension of abstraction and calm, he almost missed the fleeting brush past him; it was subtle and quick, but it dragged him out of his menial task.

Noctis turned back once more, finding the emptiness finally filled with the blond himself, albeit a little unkempt, but there nonetheless. "What kept ya?" he asked, failing at covering his obvious relief with conversation.

Prompto roughly cleared his throat, the action bringing on the sensation of sandpaper grating against the inside, "Slept through my alarm," he whispered, voice coming out broken and forced. He stared back at the raven's prying eyes momentarily, and shrugged gracelessly, "What, it happens. Don't act like you've never done it."

The prince merely held contact with the slightly glossy sky orbs for a few seconds longer, "Whatever you say," he offered his own dismissive shrug; if he wanted to be stubborn, then that was alright. "You're so late, you should have just stayed home."

"Dude, have you seen my grade in this class?" Prompto exclaimed, comment losing all luster with the scratchiness that shaved down its edge, "I can't afford to miss anything." He leaned to the side to being retrieving his things from his bag, solidifying as he was bent over to wait for the assaulting wave of dizziness to disperse; one hand remained clasped on the corner of his desk to make certain he didn't list to the side while he halted. He could hear his friend speaking to him, but it was lost in the cacophony of rings and white noise that slinked into his ears. An unknown amount of time passed before he could make out what the other was saying, and the only thing that formed in his muddled head was his name, "Hmm?" he asked after a couple more seconds,"What was that?"

"I asked if you were alright; you've been staring down for almost a minute," Noctis spoke a little louder than he meant, earning both of them a scolding 'shushing' from the instructor, and in turn he waved a hand of apology. After also tossing in a sideways smile, setting his sincerity in stone, he turned back to Prompto, scanning over his blanched features. "Hey, are you ok?"

The blond nodded cautiously, fearing that doing so with too much energy would send him into another light-headed downward spiral, and if that happened again he wasn't sure he would be able to recover from it. "Y-yeah," he stammered, licking suddenly dry lips, "I'm good." Swallowing the lump in his throat, he decided it might have been a better idea to yank his bag up to him instead of his previous attempt of going to it. With that single step a success, he pulled out the needed items onto his desk, ignoring the few extra items that tumbled out with it; he found replacing them to require a tad too much effort for the time being.

"You sure don't look 'good,'" Noctis quoted, still fixated on the other's face, looking from the pastiness of his face to the contrasting rings under his eyes, "In fact, you look kinda like shit." He slowly reached a hand forward, intending to check the other's temperature, but it was abruptly and harshly smacked aside, the sound resounding quite noisily throughout the hushed area.

A few weighted and struggling breaths huffed out of his lungs, heart rate spiking from the rush he felt flowing through him. "I said I'm fine, alright?" he clarified quietly, not at all oblivious to the murmurs of surrounding classmates triggered from his unexpected heated outburst. His eyes flashed around, meeting a few other gazes staring back and he felt the blood rush to his cheeks, embarrassment clouding his onslaught of frustration. "I have to go to the bathroom," he blurted out, desperate to get out and away from the questioning glances and looks he was receiving. His chair was shoved back, the scraping it caused echoing off the walls in his haste to exit.

"Wait, I didn't give you permission to lea-" The teacher tried to warn, but was effectively ignored, losing sight of his student before he had the opportunity to complete his statement. Letting it go for now, he sighed and turned back to finish his lesson, deciding he'd just say something when he got back. Noctis was left speechless, staring at the door the other had disappeared out of and couldn't help but feel a sense of restlessness with the other's behavior; it was strange and off putting to say the least. Totally unlike him to act in such a way, and something was obviously wrong, but he just had to be so damn hard headed about things.

For the remainder of his time trapped in this hell hole of boredom, the prince tapped his foot impatiently, every second stretching on for an unreasonably long time as he watched the hands drag themselves over the numbers. As the minute hand crept closer to the twelve, his anticipation bubbled up, coming to the verge of erupting. "Come on already," he whisper through clenched teeth, gaze glued to the clock and never once darting away from it. Except to glance at the door every now and then. The resonating shrill 'ding' of the bell was like music to his ears, zero hesitation between him sitting and stand standing as he swiftly scooped up his belongings and headed towards the ext; but, he stopped with a quick glance back behind him, staring back at Prompto's things still lying there scatted over his desk. He had almost forgotten those were still there, the blond forgetting them himself in his own haste.

Now with both of their things in tow, he was finally able to step out, head swiveling in both directions in search before choosing one and going with it. Making a bee line for the nearest restroom, the complaints of those he shoved by fell on deaf ears, his courtesy utterly flying out the window at this point; he couldn't be bothered to give people a reason or apology for his moment of coarseness. Slowly, he stepped in, looking from one stall to the next, each of which were currently in use. "Prom?" he called out, expecting to hear the blond's voice in return, receiving nothing more aside from disappointment in return. "You in here?" again, nothing came back to him. Obviously, the bathroom thing was an excuse to fell the awkward situation, but it didn't hurt to be one hundred percent sure.

He breathed out in frustration and concern, wondering where the hell he could have run off to; it wasn't like he had any place he normally fled to when he was uncomfortable or distressed. And, he doubted he would have gone back home, so he believed him to only be skipping class until his next one. For a time, he only stood there, mapping out the possible places he could be in his head, and there was only one spot he could think of that he might wonder off to in order to indulge in solitude and privacy. With a new spark of purpose, he jogged out, teetering on the fence in the verge of breaking out into an actual run. Again, he left all civility behind, finding his friend taking top priority at this time. Though, he did feel a sense of overreaction to this entire ordeal, being sick every now and then wasn't an overly alarming situation people had to deal with, but for some reason, this felt different, it felt more personal.

Stepping outside, the midday pelting rays struck down on him, striking hard as they contrasted heavily with the cooled interior of the building and he found himself shielding his eyes from their berating brightness. Standing there, he gave his body time to adjust to the abrupt change, allowing himself to grow accustomed to the raised temperatures. Able to see without the aid of his sheltering hand, he went back to walking, rounding corner after corner until he finally arrived at his destination. And there he was. Leaning against the side of the building, knees drawn up as he lied his head on top of them was Prompto himself; he was back in the place where they had first run into each other. "Finally found you," he smiled as he slowly strolled over.

The other groggily peered up through damp strands of hair, "Hey," he croaked, voice sounding more strained than earlier, and just as quickly, he buried his face once again, the light honestly stinging his overly sensitive eyes; small stabs of pain jolted through his skull.

"What...what are you doing out here? It's scorching," Noctis crouched in front of him, badgering him to look at up so that he could examine his appearance once more. "Come on, just look at me," he poked at the golden mess of a hairdo. He reluctantly complied, only peering up enough to meet the other's hunting stare.

Prompto opened his mouth to speak, but a few muffled and dry coughed racked through him, prompting him to hide his face once again until the eased away. "Needed fresh air," he finally answered once he was able to talk without the fear of choking on his own words.

Noctis breathed out through his nose, mouth forming a straight and hard line of disapproval, "Alright, get up, I'm taking you home." He didn't wait for an answer, didn't need to; this was a factually statement, not a request that was up to the other. He was taking him home and there were no choices to be had, and no protesting to be made. A few pitiful and haggard whines escaped him as he was tugged onto his feet, Noctis willingly taking most of his weight when he swayed unsteadily on trembling legs.

"But, don't you have to get...to class?" he inquired in between labored pants, the small and simple action already draining him of most of his remaining energy.

Noctis answered by draping one of the blond's arms over his shoulders, "It won't hurt me to miss a few, my grades are decent enough." He tossed in a reassuring grin, not sure if those glazed eyes caught it or not, "Just don't worry about that."

Alright," he surrendered, the idea of arguing tiring him out more, so wanting to avoid carrying out with it. Without meaning to, he realized he had been leaning more heavily against the other as they walked, Noctis practically supporting all of his weight by the time they were halfway to his house. "Sorry," he muttered, hoping the other knew what he was apologizing for. Even if he didn't, he still tried to remove some of himself off, tried to walk mostly without the assistance of someone else and regretting it almost instantly. His vision swam, and his legs tried to buckle with the uninvited over-exertion.

Luckily, Noctis was quick to readjust, shifting the other more onto himself to help keep him upright, "Whoa, easy, I got you, alright?" Pulling him closer, he felt the draft of unnatural heat washing over him in waves, it was far too hot for him to be out here, that much was for sure. "Don't try to push yourself if you don't have to."

Prompto nodded, hot puffs of air panting out against the other's neck as they walked, and the need to finally get where they were going so he could just collapse onto something was about the only thing motivating him to keep placing one foot in front of the other. He almost felt like crying when he could finally spot the small structure, relief only but a short distance away now. That beautiful image slowly started to fade though, blackness invading the edges of his sight as tendrils reached out and caressed his vision; a surge of fear coursed through him at this, his heart speeding up and breath catching up to match. He could tell they had slowed drastically, and he wanted nothing more than to sprint forward, but his body wasn't cooperating. The voice of Noctis was echoing around in his head, but the only thing his brain processed before it checked out completely was a fleeting '-ompto!'  
_______________________________  
Everything was burning, his head, his body, everything; his blood had to have been replaced with magma, it would have been the only explanation as to why he could feel himself being scorched from the inside out. The next thing that hit him was the overwhelming sensation of confusion; he had no idea where he was, the last thing him remembering was Noctis basically dragging him. Slowly, his jumbled memories and mangled thoughts pieced together coherent recollections. Right, they were on their way to his place. That would clarify why he felt softness beneath him now, despite how uncomfortable and warm it all felt. His breath hitched when he felt the same dry and rough prickles in his throat and couldn't stifle the few coughs that forced their way out, causing him to wince with the stinging they brought on.

Instinctively, he turned to his side to curl up and try to alleviate the discomfort he felt residing in his chest. As he rotated, he felt something slide off his forehead, but he really couldn't be bothered to see or feel what it was. "Finally awake?" he tried to pry his eyes open at the sound of the voice, though he was having a bit of a hard time accomplishing this minimal task. A slight shift next to him, and he felt the object being draped back over his face and he just now realized the slight coolness it provided, giving him temporary relief from the fire the swarmed him. He moaned silently at the pleasant chill it brought upon him, wishing he could cover himself wholly with this same escape. "You, uh, you need anything?" Noctis asked, feeling a bit awkward now as he wasn't used being the one doing the care taking.

Prompto nudged his head in a failed attempt at a denying gesture, the movement sending stabs of agony into the side of his skull in minor droves. "No," he croaked out, the word almost inaudible, presenting the blond with more urges to cough to try and clear the soreness that blanketed it.

The prince watched on, the sound of the hacks sending shivers down his spine, the sounds being so unpleasant and painful sounding, and he knew all to well what they felt like, pity washing over him for his friend. Gazing down, fresh beads of perspiration rolled down the side of his face, streaming down before ultimately dripped off to join the small quarter sized stain directly below his chin. Reaching over, he lifted another rag out of a bowl of chilled water, wringing it out and swiping it gently across his pallid face, clearing it of its glisten for the time being; it wouldn't be long before that shine would resurface. "I'll be right back," he laid the material back next to him and stepped back out into the kitchen, foot steps echoing around the empty space as he grabbed a glass and filled it with cold water.

For the first time, he glanced around, eyes landing on the sink ad the single plate and glass that occupied the inside. It gave him this empty and eerie feeling deep down, one he couldn't quite put his finger on. A couple more arid coughs pulled him from his pondering, and with glass in hand, he quickly sauntered back into the bed room and sat himself back on the edge of the bed. "Got you some water, I know you have to be dying of thirst."

At the offerings of sweet and magical water, the blond was immediately trying his best to sit up, struggling quite a bit with the simple function, automatically needing even more assistance just to lean against the head rest. "Thanks," he muttered, eyes casting downward. Noctis gave his returning nod and eased the glass into the other's hands, making sure he had a solid hold on the container before releasing it.

He waited until he had consumed a decent amount before asking the question that's been simmering in his mind since the moment he walked into that class room earlier, "So," he started, pausing before continuing, "What's the real reason you came in today. If you felt so terrible, why didn't you just stay home. And don't give me that 'it was your suffering grades,' crap; I want the real reason."

The blond lowered the glass to his lap, fingers glancing over the rim of the glass, throat tightening at the logic behind his foolish decision, "Well...it's just that..." his voice faded out, delaying answering the question honestly. "This is gonna sound dumb, I know," he cleared his throat again, "It's just too quiet here." His face heated up again at the admission of that, it sounded weird and ridiculous once it was out there in the open. "I dunno, I guess I just don't like being alone when I'm sick, and thought it would be better if I just went in, and yeah," he began rambling, trying to sound out his reasoning in a manner that made it alright, in a way that would make sense to the other without making him sound too needy or irresponsible.

To his surprise, Noctis didn't laugh at his explanation, or even crack a smile as far as that went, in fact, he looked almost...sympathetic maybe was the word for his expression. "Makes sense," he breathed out, taking the glass from the other's gripping hands and placed it back gently on the table, "Still, could have stayed and just called someone or something ya'know. It wouldn't have been a big deal." He helped Prompto to lie back down, "Would have been a hell of a lot better than you pushing yourself like that; you nearly gave me a heart attack passing out like that, just so you know."

The blond's eyes darted around shyly, "Oh, right, I guess I could have," he sighed, relishing in the softness of his sheets, nearly jolting back up when the sound of a phone going off broke the quiet atmosphere. Noctis retrieved the device from his back pocket, rolling his eyes when he read the caller's name: Ignis. Nothing got passed that man, and there was no doubt in his mind that he already caught word of him skipping the rest of his classes. Really, the guys hovering dedication could be pretty irritating all the time.

"Hello?" he huffed out, already pulled the phone a few inches away from his ear to spare it of the incoming nagging that he had been expecting, "Ig- Hey liste-" he grit his teeth at the constant interruptions "Specs, please," finally the voice on the other end came to a stop, allowing Noctis the opportunity to explain, "Look, something came up. I uh, I don't think I'll be back tonight, alright?" He waited as more lectures flooded from the speaker, "I know, trust me, it's a good reason, alright?" At least, the berating words settled into that of normal and welcoming tones and civil conversation, "I'll try to be back tomorrow, but I can't tonight. I promise I'll make up for it...Alright, I understand...Bye," he clicked it off, staring at it for a few seconds longer before stuffing it back into his pocket. "I swear, he's worse than an overbearing mother sometimes."

Prompto chuckled lightly at that, "Yeah, I can see it," he sighed, shivered a bit and tugged the cover more tightly around him, "Sometimes I do wonder what that must be like, but then hearing the way others describe it, it tends to sound a little less ideal."

Noctis chastised himself for that comment now, already forgetting the other basically raised himself, "I mean, it's not all bad, I guess," he shrugged, offering the blond a soft smile, "It has its ups and downs though, like anything else." He glanced over to find Prompto's eyes locked on him, listening intently to what he had to say. "But, I suppose having someone to breathe down your neck can be pretty nice in these types of moments."

Prompto hummed in agreement, "I guess," he replied, turning back over onto his side to cough a couple more times. A moment later, the cloth was dipped back in the cool water and draped back over his forehead, "He does sound rather nice."

"Try to get some sleep, alright?" Noctis placed a supportive hand on the other's shoulder, squeezing lightly, "And don't hesitate to say if you need anything, that's what I'm here for after all," he averted his gaze feeling heat rise himself now, "Just don't overdo anything again, or I'll kill you myself."

The blond nodded, peering up at his best friend through tired and half-lidded eyes, the need for sleep dragging him further and further away, "I won't," he answered sleepily, "And thanks, by the way."

"Yeah, yeah, don't mention it," Noctis brushed off, warmth flowing through him at being appreciated as he was. Realizing for the first time just how much having someone to look after him really meant to someone who wasn't used to such luxuries. So, being the one to fill that position was something he wouldn't mind doing from time to time.


	2. A Friend in Need

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ignis falls ill (Poison) and in order to save him, Prompto has to rely on his little secret in order to obtain the cure
> 
> Really hope I didn't butcher this. lol

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta read by: SinikkavonWolperting
> 
> Request for: Bagpipes5K2
> 
> Also, this ended up being a bit longer than I anticipated. lol

He pushed his glasses up, eye twitching at the spectacle before them as he once again summoned his daggers; they were all drained as it were, so the sight of yet another fleet hovering just overhead was the icing on his cake. Ignis glanced at the other three, all of which were doing the same, weapons drawn as they prepared their weary bodies for another long and tedious battle. Stains of blood and oil decorated their apparel and features, serving to show off their previous scuffles they had to deal with earlier in the day. This was getting ridiculous, the persistence of these guys were admirable, but irritating to say the least.

"Why can't they just give it up already?" Noctis complained, eyes fixated on the aircraft as the bay doors gradually careened open, sounding out a weighted whine and revealed the mini army of MTs that lurked within; the crimson glow of their eyes shined eerily in the darkness of their container, fading out to nothing as they stepped far enough into the light for them to be outshone.

The adviser spun one of his blades in his hand, rays glinting off the edge as he did so, "They lack the ability to know when to call it quits." He ignored the eye roll the prince threw his way, clearly annoyed at his rhetorical question receiving an answer.

"Well, they are mindless machines after all," Gladio backed up, propping his own gargantuan blade across his shoulders as he took the few steps required to place himself between the fleet and Noctis. "Let's try to end this quickly, I don't feel like dragging this on longer than necessary."

"And you think we do?" Noctis asked incredulously, cocking his head to the side in an attempt to rid his neck of the kinks that had settled throughout the day. "Prom, ya got my back?" he tossed over his shoulder, meeting light eyes as the other nodded with a thumbs up.

The blond twirled his pistol in his hand in a flashy manner, "Don't I always?" he replied with a sideways and playfully arrogant smile. "Just don't go gettin' all fancy with your warping, do you have any idea how impossible it is to keep up with that?" he pursed his lips, skipping forward to throw an arm around his friend's shoulders. He sighed dramatically, "Try to keep us in mind this time."

"Yeah, yeah," the other brushed the limb away, moving forward a few inches as the droves of androids drew closer, axes in hand, raising with each foot the covered, "Just try your best to keep up." With that, he was gone, flash of blue flickering in a jagged line indicating his direction before he just as swiftly reappeared behind the front of the group. He was thoroughly hidden from view, so it made it that much more satisfying when the tip of his blade was thrust into sight, sparks cascading from the gaping wound in the thing's chest as the sword tore through.

Noctis flinched as another swarm of sparks flew just by his face just as a gunshot went off, a few striking his cheek painfully a moment before he heard the eerie sounds of metal piercing metal a mere few inches behind him. The prince peered around, leaning to the side just far enough to see the blond's outstretched arm, tendrils of smoke still whisping away from its heated barrel; he nodded his thanks and placed a solid foot on his victims back, giving it a firm shove until it fell away, freeing blade from its facade of a body. There was a light brush past him, and he caught enough of a glance to notice the gleam off the rim of the glasses to recognize the source of said person.

"Try not to let your guard down," Ignis warned, finding the time to give the other lectures and lessons whilst in the middle of a battle; nothing to be surprised about with that. Keeping his attention on Noctis, he stabbed one of his daggers back, managing to impale another trooper in the side of its neck, ripping through its wires like butter. "You can't leave your back exposed like that," he finished his spontaneous teaching, spinning on the ball of his foot to remove his blades from their victims. In a fleeting moment, he turned his back on the teeth-gritting prince, rushing forward to take on a new set of foes while Noctis stayed as he was, feeling slightly patronized by the remarks.

To his left, the shield was making quick work of his own bunch, swinging his greatsword as he toppled two to three at a time, cutting them down with precision and ease, all while appearing like that of a barbarian at the same time. He couldn't help but feel a small jab of envy at the man's ferocity and skill; he had a long way to go before he was capable of such feats, but he supposed that was what Gladio was there for. The young man ripped his attention of the larger, turning in time to narrowly dodge an ax aimed at his throat, the air whipped across his neck from the sheer force of the swing. "Tch, dammit," he swore under his breath, adrenaline now pumping brutishly through his veins, heart thumping in time with his pulsating frustration.

Another gunshot, and an MT to his right faltered in its pursuit, ember-infused eyes fluttering out of existence as it listed lifelessly to the side, cluttering when it collapsed into a heap of useless scrap material at his feet. A quick and vigorous kick to its head told him all he needed to know. It was down for the count; he didn't have to worry about it reanimating for another attempt at taking at least one of them out. With that, he glanced back up, only a few more were left; Gladio still had two to himself, and Ignis had three, and from the sounds of things, Prompto had switched over to backing up the latter.

Noctis flung his blade forward, grinning satisfyingly to himself before he vanished after it, colliding into the machine and tearing his sword from the center of its head with a gratifying 'squeal' of metal on metal. However, he didn't have a chance to silently celebrate, a cry to his left drew his moment of triumph into a few seconds of gut-wrenching worry and dread. That was Ignis, the man always keeping his cool and never sounding out his pain unless it was worth the fussing over. His eyes glided over in his direction, locating the man just as the ax was ripped from the adviser's shoulder, red streaks following the crimson stained blade in its retreat. "Iggy," he breathed out, voice lost among his crumbling composure; his legs rushing forward and sword abandoned in his haste to get to the man's side. He saw the culprit go down as he rushed over, a barrage of bullets pelting the foe with Prompto's partnered 'Ignis!' echoing behind the shots.

He fell to his knees in his agonized state, hand clutching desperately at the bleeding and offending area as fresh blood continued to flow between his fingers and run down the length of his hand. The blond was there next to him in a matter of seconds, hands hovering over the injury, unsure of what he should do. He wanted to help, but how? His concern-ravaged mind had completely barricaded the obvious solution from reaching his conscious, and he nearly slapped himself seeing Noctis roughly shove a potion into Ignis' unoccupied grip, forcing his fingers to wrap around the vial. "Come on, there ya go, just squeeze," the prince instructed, not caring that he obviously knew what he was supposed to do, but irritated with his hesitation.

Nonetheless, the 'crack' of the potion being crushed reached his ears, a faint but clear and relieving green hue encased the man, causing him to grunt in discomfort as the wound slowly began to close itself. He was left out of breath and trembling, pain still waving through him in quick and displeasurable spasms, wound still mending on the inside. Slowly, he removed his grip on his shoulder, letting it fall to his lap, blood dripping off it and splattering onto his legs. Uttering a thanks, barely audible, he went to stand up and was stopped by both Noctis and Prompto, each of them taking hold of an arm and firmly holding the man down.

"Whoa, are ya sure that's a good idea?" the blond asked, looking over the man's pallid features, "That was a lot of...um blood after all." He scanned the decent sized puddle around him, paling himself at the sight of it.

"What the hell happened?" the shield's voice joined in, heavy and rushed footfalls approaching swiftly. His eyes immediately fell onto the tattered clothing and blood-decorated surroundings, "Ignis..."

As a response, he let out a shuddering breath, cutting his eyes up at the larger until he met hazel orbs, "Minor mishap," he whispered, voice restrained from exhaustion and pain. "I'll be fine," he caught three sets of eyes glaring him down. "With a bit of rest, I mean," he added, mostly to appease their near-scolding. He looked from the prince to the blond, "But I can't very well do that when I'm being held down against my will."

"Oh, right!" Prompto scrambled away, pulling his hands away instantly; Noctis mirrored the actions, albeit with more grace and pride than the other.

"Sorry...about that," the raven-haired rubbed the back of his neck, an apologetic smile painted on his face. "Hey, wait..." he reached out again, already forgetting the man's need for independence and grabbed hold of his arm when he swayed dangerously on his feet.

With a strong yank backwards, Noctis let out a surprised and offended gasp when Gladio pulled him away, taking his place in supporting Ignis, "There should be a haven not far from here," he recalled, certain he's seen one not too far back, and proceeded to scoop the man into his arms, not wanting to have to make him push himself with his stubborn ways. That, and the sooner they got their, the better his health would fair, knowing that even with support, he would be far to slow to reach the place before nightfall.

"Gladio," came the adviser's stern and warning voice, "I'm perfectly capable of walking," he was basically fuming, cheeks tinting with the strike to his pride. He struggled a small amount against the shield's firm hold, making no leeway with his drained and weakened form.

He scoffed when his face was almost struck by a flying elbow, "Oh quit yer bitchin'" Readjusting his hold when the other managed to wiggle away slightly, he began the trek back, telling his head back when limbs were again threatening to make contact, "Will you cut it out? No one is around to see, and we really don't care."

A perturbed and flustered huff left Ignis' mouth before they formed a hard and straight line, "Gladio..." he said again, putting all his effort into sounding intimidating, but it fell short as it faded and transitioned into a couple pained coughs. The onslaught left him breathless and almost wheezing, and surprisingly as well as frighteningly, he ceased his complaints, now willingly allowing himself to be carried in such a demeaning manner.

"Everything alright?" his carrier asked, glancing down at his cargo's face, noting the still flushed cheeks, his eyes closed though he was still obviously awake.

Carefully he nodded, "Yeah," he cleared his throat, "Yeah, everything is alright. Don't worry about it." He opened his eyes enough to peer up at the other through half-lidded eyes, cloudiness rolling in over them.

"'Alright' my ass," Gladio replied, quickening his pace, "You didn't get hit anywhere else did ya? Maybe something the potion didn't take care of alone?" he asked, endless possibilities tugging at his mind.

"No," he answered plainly, not a hint of uncertainty in his tone. "I think the blood loss might just be getting to me a little."

Gladio grunted, bringing his gaze back in front of him, "Well, if you didn't waste all that time whining and throwing a tantrum then I'm sure everything would have been fine." He heard a few more strained and dry coughs come from the man in his arms, "Yeah, I'm not buying it," he muttered, referring to his previous excuse. Even now, he could feel the subtle heat already emitting from the brunette, wafting off in minor waves over his arms. He pulled him in closer when a small, but definite shiver jolted through him. As soon as they were within protected territory, he was determined to have a look over Ignis for himself, not trusting the man to be honest when it came to his own well being.

Throughout their tedious trek, more than once, Gladio found himself glancing down, noticing each time he did so, the man appeared a bit more haggard and exhausted than the last time he looked. He couldn't discern whether it was due to his mind manipulating things into what he expected to see, or if something was truly more wrong than they had anticipated. The others seemed to have the same questions and concerns swimming in their conscious, as they too threw over a worried glance from time to time, thought neither voiced these curiosities.

Eventually, taking much longer than he was comfortable with, they reached their campsite, the others already setting to work on getting things situated. Prompto was considerate enough though to place down a comforter for Gladio to lie the other on until they got things set up. Gently, he lowered the man down, earning himself a scowl of discomfort with the movement and a quiet groan of pain. Crouching down next to the adviser, he slowly peeled back the ragged edge of his jacket, cringing at the crumbling of drying blood as he gripped it, "Just wanna check and make sure the wound is closed, alright?" He didn't receive an audible answer, but he accepted the silence as compliance and finished shifting the material out of the way.

Falling silent at the sight, he stared at the fresh scar; it had definitely closed, but that's not what was bothering him. It was the area around it that caused newfound uneasiness to surface. Redness surrounded the area, making the perfect, or dreadful, backdrop for the blackened roots that seemed to branch out from right beneath flesh. His chest constricted and throat clenched as he reached an examining hand towards the blemished area; his fingers only brushed over it, yet was still enough to bring forth a cry of agony from the man, back trying to arch from the pain of it. "Sorry," Gladio blurted out, instantly withdrawing his touch as if burned.

Ignis took a few deep and calming breaths, turning out to be more of desperate and hurtful gasps, but regardless they seemed to be helping to some degree. "Noctis," Gladio called, waving a hand at the prince, "I need you to bring me an antidote, quickly." The urgency in his voice seemed to light a fire under the other; the fact that he rarely sounded quite that panicked flaring up true alarm in his heart. Not a single word was uttered as he carried out the request, practically slamming the vial into the shields awaiting hand. He quick nod of appreciation and the antidote was now eased into Ignis' limp grasp. "Here ya go, give this a go."

He cracked an eye open, fixing the larger with a glazed and confused stare, but he still seemed lucid enough to follow directions and gave the container a light and insufficient squeeze, not quite enough to shatter the thing. In gripping fear, Gladio placed his own hand around the other's, and gave that extra bit of pressure required to crush the antidote. A blue hue snaked out, wrapping around the man, but has the other two looked on, both having their eyes glued to the creeping veins, nothing seemed to change. "Dammit, come on," he almost growled, hands balling into fists.

Prompto watched from afar, honestly not wanting to approach to the seen, his own limbs trembling from the sounds and words coming from that spot and he wasn't sure he would be able to handle seeing it up close and personal. And the stricken expression he could make out on Gladio's face made his heart drop into his stomach, creating a void of despair in his chest, consuming all his cheerfulness and laid back demeanor. What the hell was going on? He wanted to help, he had to, but the others had this under control, right? They had to. From where he stood, he saw Ignis' head tilt to the side as his body heaved, and he didn't need to look any closer to know what was going on, and it was far from comforting or reassuring.

"Prom!" Noctis called, turning his head just far enough to make eye contact with the blond, "Can you bring a bottle of water and some rags or something?" his voice took on an edge of pleading as he turned back to look down at their patient.

Gladio had since then replaced the jacket over the mark, knowing that neither of them cared to look at it for much longer. "What is this?" the prince asked, eyes still hovering where the scar was hidden, "This happened too fast to be normal; it doesn't make any damn sense." His own fingers now grasped at the dirt, digging in deeply as the grains embedded themselves beneath his nails.

The other sighed heavily, dipping his head subtly as realization was settling in for himself as well, "If I had to guess, I'd say poison." At that time, the blond had trotted over, requested items in hand and carefully, he dumped his haul next to the others. His eyes were wide in alarm and renewed apprehension at the mention of poison, knowing very well the dangers and fatalness some could have. "It's a dirty, but common tactic. Even if the blow doesn't kill you, the affliction will, killing you from the insi-"

"That's enough," Ignis whispered, voice low and hoarse, "We all know very we-," a few more dry coughs forced their way out, "very well what such things are capable of." He grimaced when another surge of nausea ran through him, but he was able to keep it together this time around. Slight shame coursed through him at the light dabs on his face from Gladio, wiping away any sweat or other substances that may have resided there, but he still muttered his thanks. Sighing deeply, his eyes slid close again, seeking at least a moment of relaxation at the knowledge that things had the potential to grow more severe.

"Well, wh-what are we supposed to do about it?" Prompto questioned, voice raising in both volume as well as pitch, "If that didn't work," he gestured to the remnants of the shattered vial, "then how the hell are we supposed to fix this?" His hands were outstretched to either side, shoulders slumped in both despair and bewilderment.

Ignis cleared his throat once again, pulling in the attentions of all three, "Calm yourself," he forced his eyes open once more, "Nearly every poison has an antidote, getting a hold of it is the only issue." Another short-lived spasm racked his body, "But...I suspect they would have one kept somewhere convenient for their sake."

"So what? We go back and ransack their corpses?" the blond asked, getting ready to start heading over right that instant; the moment the words were spoken aloud, he was ready to start walking.

"Don't be so...rash," he took a shaky breath, teeth clenching momentarily, "They wouldn't have it on them, no point in poisoning someone if they can just snatch the cure off you." Blinking a few times to clear his fogging vision, he glanced from one to the other, eyes flickering between them, "If they had it, they'd hold it at one of their bases most likely, I assume."

Noctis nodded from his spot, "Alright, so what? We go in and rob the place, and...that's it? Sounds simple enough," he pushed himself to his feet, stretching to either side to clear his spine of any discomforts, "Well, let's get going then?"

"You don't even know where you're going," Gladio promptly reminded, "Not to mention it's nearly pitch dark out there and the place is soon to be swarmed with daemons."

The prince grit his teeth in agitation, "So what? You think we should wait until morning; wait until this gets who knows how much worse?" He crossed his arms over his chest and gazed down at the adviser, sweat rolling down either side of his face as he panted for breath and clearly hanging on to consciousness. "We don't have time to wait around on our asses."

Gladio opened his mouth to speak, but was swiftly cut off before he could mutter a word, "I'm with him on this," Prompto jabbed a thumb in the other's direction, following his gaze, "This is getting bad quick, and I don't care to see how far this go."

The shield looked from one determined face to the next, taking in a deep and calm breath in order to let it out slowly; it was no use, and with another fleeting glance at the brunette, he finally nodded, "Alright fine, do what you will." The others went to go, but he quickly put up a hand to stop them, "But, I'm staying here to keep an eye on him. Be careful out there, I don't want to have to go searching for the two of you, alright?"

The two of them nodded, unwavering confidence and revived fire in their hearts, "Yeah," Noctis replied, flipping on his light, the blond following suit with a solid nod of agreement. "Make sure to hold down the fort while we're gone," he offered a small and sympathetic smile, pins pricking at his throat as he did so. As he turned, he placed a hand on Prompto's shoulder and let it drop in a gesture of letting him know it was time to set out. "We'll be back as soon as we can."

* * *

  
Every noise, every subtle movement that sounded, they had their attentions swiveled in its direction, watching out of the corner of their eyes until they deemed it safe enough to focus back on the terrain in front of them. They weren't aware of it right off the bat, but they had been drifting rather close to each other, unconsciously seeking safety in one another's presence and closeness. The occasional, 'Did you hear that?' would seep out of Prompto's mouth as he spun on his heel, eyes scanning in a frenzy over what he could make out.

"It's nothing," Noctis kept reminding, not wanting to humor the other by at least checking it out for himself. The key was to keep moving and not stopping every few seconds to check the coast and make sure things were safe enough; if they stayed on the move, things would work out. "Keep your eyes forward," he instructed when the blond whipped his head around again when he thought he heard something lurking behind them, eyes widened in unresolved anxiety.

He chucked nervously to himself, "Yeah, right, nothing at all," He skipped back forward to catch up with the prince, somehow managing to drift even closer than he had been. "How much farther until we reach this place?"

The other shrugged, "No idea, kinda hard to see things out here, but I think we're going in the right direction."

"You think?" Prompto exclaimed, stopping in his tracks, "Don't tell me this is just a hunch and we're heading in completely the wrong direction." Squinting his eyes, he peered in front of them, lighting much too low to even make out the silhouette of anything in particular. "I mean, I don't see anything that remotely resembles a base."

"This is the right way, ok?" Noctis replied, quickening his own pace, "Come one, pick it up, can't waste time on second guessing things."

"I-I know," he stammered, once again hopping forward to catch up, "Think he'll be alright?" he added after a few seconds, voice switching from his normal excited self, down to a shadow of that, "It didn't look good, Noct."

The other fell silent, not wanting to answer that, not knowing how to answer that. With how quickly the symptoms were worsening, and how abruptly they had come on, he didn't want to think about how dire things could get if they were to take to long, or screw up, and then the thoughts of 'what if there is no antidote,' swirled around. There was no guarantee that they would even find something to help the man and were simply doing this on the reliability of a 'what if'. "Noct," Prompto spoke again, disrupting his train wrack of thoughts.

"Hmm? Oh, right. Yeah, I'm sure he will be," he finally voiced, going against all the alarms and warning bells echoing in his skull, "That is, if we hurry."

* * *

  
The others had been gone for nearly an hour now, and despite him knowing this could take some time, he couldn't quite extinguish the worry that infested his mind, nagging him that they were sent to their death, and that all of this was a huge mistake. The light groan that sounded in front of him beckoned him to once again wipe down the man's face with the damp cloth. He pulled it away in order to pour another generous amount on the material before lying it to rest on the other's forehead. After a moment of listening to quickened and labored pants, he placed the back of his hand to his cheek, flinching at the heat that was radiating off. Whatever it was the others were doing, they needed to hurry up and do it, the fever alone was already becoming something of high concern and it didn't show any signs of slowing down anytime soon.

A splutter dragged his scrutiny back down and his stomach clenched as his mind raced, and for a moment he was suspended, unable to act right away. Grabbing one of the other rags, he quickly and shakily swiped it at the corner of Ignis' mouth, immediately folding it over to hide the crimson stain from view. His eyes remained on the spot though, a small spec of red still blemishing the man's face. "Hang on, they're working on it," he tried to soothe, unsure if his words were heard or not, but it didn't matter, he was in need of reassuring as well.

The adviser's breath hitched, and Gladio couldn't be sure if t was due to pain, or him trying to speak, but whatever it was resulted in his face scrunching in discomfort and his eyes tightening as fresh bullets of sweat formed across his exposed brow. Teeth were grit as a quiet and tense whimper was breathed out, a noise that did not befit the man, even given his current condition. All the larger man could do was sit there and be there for him until the others returned, or until...He stopped his wondering right there, not daring to imagine the possible outcomes of this. Ignis would be fine.

Reaching down, he removed the cloth and once again refreshed it with a new dousing before replacing it where it was. The reactions the brunette showed were slowly becoming less frequent and less noticeable; in fact, he seemed to be becoming less aware of anything, having not spoken but a few words since they had left. He sighed in compassion, and pinched the bridge of his nose, closing his own eyes as a headache was starting to come on.

"Please, hurry up." he muttered, letting his hand fall away.

* * *

  
"You hear that?" Noctis asked, holding out an arm to stop the other in his tracks, the other hand raised to his mouth in a signal of silence. Listening for a few seconds more, his gaze wandered up, eyes locking onto the embers in the sky. "Get down," he ushered the other as the both ducked behind a boulder, the prince keeping his head peeked around at the aircraft as it leisurely hovered by, heading in the same direction as themselves. They watched until it gradually slowed to a stop before gently lowering itself, descending until it disappeared from view. "Well, I guess that answers your concerns."

"So, that's it huh?" Prompto asked, using the rock to assist in pulling himself up, "How ya wanna do this?"

Noctis thought on it for a moment, "I would say stealth would be the best way, but I don't think that's exactly a forte of ours." He ignored the scowl he was receiving, "Could go with the distraction," giving the blond a sly and knowing grin he added, "Feel like blowing something up?" It didn't take a close friend to see the spark and life shining in his eye.

"Hell yeah!" Prompto threw both arms up, "Things are about to be lit!" He called his gun and started twirling it around his finger, and with that, he was heading towards where they assumed the base to be. Well, if the drop ship and warm and glowing lights had anything to do with it, then this was definitely the place.

Noctis laughed to himself at how he was way too eager to cause commotions via explosions, but there was no doubt he was good at it. "Just don't get yourself caught in the fire this time."

The blond offered him a quick thumbs up, "Dude, I got this. I'm sure you'll see your queue shortly," and he was off, sprinting in the base's general direction, making sure to keep to the shadows in his haste. He tossed one more glance back at his friend's fading form until it was ultimately obscured in blackness. His feet slowed to a stop as he approached, now deciding to take his steps carefully and one at a time. Peering in, he glanced around, making sure no eyes, real or fake, were directed towards him and snaked in, diving behind the first thing available. "Anything flammable?" he asked himself, rummaging around through nooks and crannies as he searched silently.

Turning his head, he kept his eyes locked on the narrow passage behind him as he walked, nearly yelping in surprise as he stumbled, foot catching on something causing his would be downfall if not for his quick hold on the nearby structure. "Guess there's a reason Ignis doesn't normally have me doing stealth," he muttered, scanning the ground for his inanimate attacker. It was the color that first stuck out to him, red, shining brightly in contrast to the drab surroundings, "What have we here?" he lightly chuckled, bringing the container closer, unscrewing the cap to take a quick sniff. He wrinkled his nose at the putrid aroma, but never has he smelled anything quite as lovely.

Taking another look around, he hugged the object close, running deeper into the bowls of the base, for once thankful it was mostly filled with lifeless forms; their unseeing gazes stared uselessly, unable to alert any real threats. Tip-toeing for minutes, he was finally in deep enough for this to make a real impact, for it to actually draw in attention long enough for them to do what they had to. A watch tower, abandoned as it stood tall and looked over a majority of the grounds. He'd just have to make this quick before anyone noticed anything awry. He kept his head low, practically hunched over in an unnatural manner as he stalked up the stairs, rolling into each step to prevent the creaks from sounding out and raising awareness. Glancing up, he only had a few more flights to go. Once he was a good distance up, he unscrewed the cap and started drizzling the substance behind him, leaving a nice generous trail in his wake.

And, finally reaching the top without incident, he placed the half empty gasoline tank on the rail, setting up to sit steady enough for him to make it back down without it falling. Just as gradual and careful as his way up, he made it back down, his gun drawn and held close while he got some distance between him and the danger. Once he decided he was far enough away, he steadily trained his weapon on the minute red target, using both hands to make sure his aim didn't falter. Then, with a swift pull of the trigger, he turned on a dime and hauled it away, desperate to be as far as possible before others arrived to investigate.

He may have missed the spectacle of the tower going up in flames, but he could at least see the glow as it chased after him, his shadow fluttering with the dancing flames. Though, the tactic worked at the very least if the hectic voices sounding from afar and alarms sounding had anything to do with it, and he was willing to bet everything he owned they did. But, the one sound he wasn't accounting for was the sound of gunshots, sounding incredibly too close for comfort. Swearing under his breath, he sprinted faster, making quick and sharp turns in order to weave around anything to attempt to lose whoever it was that had their eye on him.

Nothing else was on his mind aside from getting out and finding Noct so they could get this over with and get out. His heart beat loudly in his chest, both with adrenaline and exertion; so consumed by his thrill, he was almost unaware of the grasp on his arm as he was roughly, and firmly, jerked to the side, having to take a few steps to prevent himself from going down from the force of it. "Wha-!" he blurted out, cutting himself off at the familiar raven-colored tufts.

"I guess that's one way to do it," Noctis said, staring up at the orange and red that painted the sky. He released his hold on the other, curiosity spiking as he felt a weird warm liquid. Taking his hand and holding it in front of his face, he scanned over the small red smudge. Blood. Glancing back, he found the source, a minor, yet clear, streak of crimson on the blond's lower arm.

Prompto followed his scrutiny, noticing this for the first time himself, "They have guns," he answered simply, shrugging it off. "Hey, you said no blowing myself up, I kept my word." Using his other hand, he wiped the welling blood away, smudging it across his arm, "It's fine though, it's not deep; didn't even feel it."

Noctis accepted that, "If you say so," and stood there a moment, giving the people time to accumulate towards the explosive extravaganza, waiting until their majority focus was on that and the surrounding area. "Alright, see that?" he asked sidestepping to allow the other to see past him. He hummed in confirmation as his eyes landed on the small grouping of sheds, "Thinking we should check there first."

"Doesn't look like much though," Prompto observed, they appeared rather unattended to, but he was willing to check every inch of this place if that's what it took to help Ignis. Watching for Noctis' go ahead, he was off the moment he caught the first glimpse of it, Noctis following close behind, his own head flitting from side to side as they went. Reaching it, the blond pressed his back against the wall of it, making himself as small as possible.

"What are you doing?" the prince asked, pushing the door open and creeping in.

"Oh, uh nothing," the other replied sheepishly, "Just didn't think it'd be unlocked," he scratched the back of his head, stepping in quietly after the other. They fell into uncomfortable and frantic silence as things were haphazardly rummaged through, various things being left strewn across the shelves and floor. "Um, what would it even look like?" he asked after a time of coming up empty; the only things passing through his hands being scrap metal and multiple unused pieces of outdated technology.

He wasn't quite sure himself, "I dunno, just grab whatever looks 'science-y' I guess."

"That tells me a lot," Prompto pursed his lips, not wanting to voice his panic as it started making a comeback now that his rush had worn off; though, he was sure Noctis had to be feeling the same right about now. "Think we should maybe check elsewhere? I think this is more of an abandoned warehouse than a safe for poison cures."

Noctis sighed and nodded, "Yeah, probably a good idea. You check the next one, I'll look elsewhere."

He didn't like the prospect of splitting up, but time was of the essence, and they were more likely to find something with more ground covered. So, he reluctantly agreed, stepping out and over to the next shed as he watched the prince slink over to one of the main buildings. Hopefully that fire would keep them occupied long enough.

* * *

  
It felt as though Hell itself was ravaging his body, all other senses snuffed out from the incessant burning that held him captive. Despite all this, he was still aware enough to feel his body convulse, tightening in different spots, three of those being the stomach, chest and throat as pain spiked all throughout. With it came the uneasy feeling of his body trying to expel...something, though he couldn't quite place what that was exactly, but he sensed himself being turned over as whatever it was steamed from the corner of his mouth, dripping down the side of his face. And, as soon as it happened, he was rolled back onto his back and a soft material swiped at his mouth and cheek; something that should have been embarrassing, but he honestly couldn't be bothered to feel such emotions.

He heard Gladio speaking, and he knew exactly who it was, only couldn't make out the jumbled words, warped and distorted as they were. But, they still provided some comfort, provided something to cling to and focus on to distract himself from the internal battle he was facing. That was his anchor, and he was going to use that to keep himself grounded for as long his physical form would allow.

The shield kept himself busy with keeping the adviser cleaned up, clearing his face of blood or other substances the moment any of them spilled over and keeping his head turned to the side the majority of the time to prevent suffocation. The rag was now soiled beyond the point of being salvageable, and he dismissively tossed it into the flame, watching as the erupted, the fire making quick work in dissolving the cloth. "What the hell is taking so damn long?" he grunted out of concern for both them, as well as Ignis.

* * *

  
Noctis shoved things to the side, taking zero precautions as his patience was wearing thin, exposing his utter fear and sweltering anguish underneath. Still, after all this searching, he was coming up with nothing. Many emotions coursed through him, fear, sorrow, resentment, but most prevalent was his anger. In the heat of the moment, he thrust his fist to the side, a resounding and solid 'thud' bounced around before whatever it was fell away and clanked to the metallic flooring. A covering, hope began welling up once again.

Hands now feeling over the surface, searching for more edges, he started ripping the sheets of metal away, ignoring the way the sharpened edges dug into fingers and palms. They were nothing but minor and insignificant flesh wounds. And, eventually, he found something to bring him hope, a safe sitting snugly, no longer hidden behind a facade of a wall. But, it didn't look right to him, there was no dial, not lock combination, not even a number pad. All his eyes could locate was what looked to be a scanner of sorts, glowing mockingly at him.

Smacking another hand against it in flaring rage, he got to his feet, rushing out, going as far as warping back over to where Prompto was still fruitlessly searching himself. Hopefully he could figure something out, he was the technophile after all. He didn't bother with the specifics yet, but roughly grabbed hold of the blond's wrist, tugging him along with a "Hurry up," until he was moving along willingly next to the prince.

"What, what's going on?" Prompto blurted, slightly alarmed by the other's sudden energy outburst and swiftness.

"Just come on, there's something I need you to break into," he quickened his pace as they drew closer, running up the few steps and halting when he came to stand in front of the box, light still shining ominously in the subtle lighting. "That, think you can work your magic?" he folded his arms over his chest and stood back, permitting the blond entry.

He dropped to his knees in front of it, already setting to work with looking it over, searching for any points that could help in prying it open, but of course, this was them they were talking about. Such luck wasn't common amongst the four of them. Eventually, his gaze fell back to the dim light, glaring teasingly back at him. For a moment, he simply stared at it, its possible uses swarming through his mind...then it downed on him. A scanner; his left hand unconsciously drifted to his right wrist, fingers wrapping around it as the skin beneath itched with the reminder. It-it was worth a shot, wasn't it? "Uh Noct? You mind, maybe turning around for a second?"

"Did you figure it out?" he asked, crouching down next to him.

Prompto nodded, keeping his gaze downward, "Just don't want you watching," his eyes flitted between the safe and the other cautiously and nervously.

"We're in a hurry, just do what you gotta do so we can get out of here," Noctis almost spat, quickly losing his cool.

The blond sighed heavily in ruffled agitation, "Can't let you in on all my little secrets, can I?" he winked, and despite the other's own exasperated sigh, he gave in to the other's wishes and went to stand by the door, turning his back to the young man.

"Alright, there you go, now hurry up."

Satisfied, he eased his wrist band away, exposing his own godforsaken code, and swiftly swiped it in front of the prying beam; a suspended moment of gut-wrenching silence before ultimately, a small and shrill beep emitted from the safe and a definite click directly afterwards; he flinched at the sound. "And there we go," he announced, voice wavering slightly as he pulled the band back down before Noctis could see anything. He pulled the small door open, reaching in without looking and grabbing hold of the first thing his fingers brushed over, and a small tremor of hope ran through him as he retrieved it, hand wrapped tightly around the small box within. Now holding it in both hands, he lifted the lid, an exhale seeping out at the sight. Small vials filled the interior, each looking the same as the last.

"All we can do is hope," Noctis quickly crumbled the mood with his dose of reality. Right, they had no idea what this was, could have been more poison as far as they were concerned. But, Noct was right, what choice did they have other than to trust it? "Alright, let's hurry back."

"Yeah," Prompto agreed, tucking the small box under his arm, holding onto it for dear life, not daring to loosen his grasp on it even by a small degree.

* * *

  
Gladio had his eyes concentrated on the dying flames, not bothering to feed it more fuel on a count of the sky was already adopting a grayish hue as morning was quickly approaching. The only thing keeping him company was Ignis' pain-filled and labored breaths. His fingers were intertwined in his lap, laced tightly together as his nerves stood on end, and he could have sworn each exhale that came from the other sounded more strained than the last, but he prayed it was just his stressed brain warping the truth.

He bit his lip, holding back a few curses as rays were now creeping over the horizon, teasing the night away with their touch. All night, all night he had been waiting, and still nothing, no sign of them; they didn't even bother calling or even sending a message as far as that went. As soon as he lowered his head into his hands for the millionth time in the past twelve hours, he heard something, footsteps, coming up rather quickly. He tuned his head, just far enough to witness the two younger members, seemingly sprinting and clearly out of breath. And, as he watched, he noticed the small white container the gunslinger had tucked under his arm.

"Gladdy!" Prompto called out when he was a mere twenty or so yards away, "How is he?" he asked, shoving the box into the shield's waiting hands and skidding to a stop next to the adviser to look over him for himself. He was no doctor by any means, but it didn't take a professional to see how poorly the man was fairing. "Iggy?" he asked much quieter, patting the man's cheek lightly, desperate to get some sort of response out of him. Nothing. "Come on man, we got something, not sure if it'll help, but it's something and it looks fancy, so maybe."

The larger man turned the box over in his hand, hearing the small and light 'clinks' as glass collided together, and he promptly straightened it back out before he broke something. "Are you sure this is it?" he asked, directing the question at the prince.

"Nope, but it's all we got," he sighed, trying not to get his hopes up in the unfortunate case that it was all for naught.

The other grunted his understanding and placed the box on the ground before prying it open and scanned over its contents, "Well, it looks promising enough." He licked dry lips, pulling out one of the small bottles as well as one of the syringes that resided within. Wasting no more time than has already been, he plunged the needle into the substance, pulling out what he guessed to be enough, but afraid to do anymore and risk killing the man with an overdose. "Ok, let's give this a go," he tested the syringe out, making sure it was working properly before he stabbed the brunette with it.

Prompto scooted back when Gladio sauntered over, taking his place next to Ignis and lifted his arm. Rolling his sleeve up, he turned to the blond, "Need your bandanna. Just tie it off above his elbow, tightly now." He did as he was instructed, fumbling slightly with trembling hands, "Alright, that'll do," the shield nodded his appreciation, and giving it a moment, a few veins were finally visible. Saying another silent pray to himself, he gently pressed the needle through, his own brow now coating itself with perspiration as he pressed the liquid in, emptying its contents into the man's blood stream. He tossed the used needle aside, hoping to every god out there that he didn't just end his life with whatever that stuff was.

"And now we wait?" The blond asked, though he already knew the answer, of course that's all they could do now, not much else to do aside from continue to make Ignis comfortable. Though, saying it like that sounded like they had already given up. He leaned back until he was lying on his back, staring up at the transitioning hues from a drab blue into a warm orange, the color seemingly heating up the chilled air.

His eye lids were beginning to weight down, exhaustion and achiness finally catching up with him, but he refused to give his body what it sought until the 'cure' took effect, whichever direction it may go in. Though, that didn't mean he couldn't allow his eyes a moment of refuge, relishing in the short minute of relaxation, well, the most relaxation he's had all night that is. Doubts and concerns still nagged noisily in his mind. He jolted upright at a sputtering sound, the noise genuinely startling him as he hadn't realized he really was almost asleep.

"Hey," Gladio greeted, clambering over to greet glazed over green eyes, "Can you hear me?" he asked, lifting Ignis' head into his lap to help him see better. The man responded with a sluggish nod, eyes were struggling to remain open. "Ok, good, that's good," he sighed out in relief.

The adviser let out a few dry coughs, almost choking on the last one as a few drops of blood dribbled out, wincing at the soreness the action brought upon his whole body. "One of you, get some more water will you?" He didn't pay attention to who it was following the order, only kept his focus on the other, encouraging him to stay awake long enough to be checked over. Grasping the water that was held out in front of him, he quickly unscrewed the cap, "Think you can drink something?" he asked quietly, holding the bottle in front of the other's gaze, "At least a small amount," he clarified.

For a moment he thought his question went unheard, but then there was the small nod and a few blinks. Alright, he could understand things clearly for the most part, so that was a positive. Hesitantly, he lifted the mouth of the bottle to the man's lips and tilted it marginally, allowing only a few drops to fall in. The first attempt ended with him choking it right back up, his body instantly rejecting the intake of anything, but the second time, he was able to get a small sip down, and even managed to keep it down.

Gratified that that went as well as expected, Gladio lowered him back down to lie flat and set the water aside, "Later we can try more than that if you're feeling up to it."

"So, is that it then? It worked?" Prompto asked, failing at subduing his bubbling excitement of seeing some progress. Obviously it would take some time before he was back up to a hundred percent, but it was a start.

The shield nodded, keeping his eyes down, "Looks like it, but we'll have to keep an eye for a bit longer, and if there isn't anymore improvement from here, I guess we'll have to continue giving him small doses until he's well enough."

It wasn't the best news, but it was on the right track at the very least; it was hopeful, and there wasn't much more they could ask for at the moment. Honestly, they were just ecstatic to hear there was a sliver of a chance, well, a bit more than that, but still. Gladio glanced over at them and took in their appearance for the first time since they returned, taking in the dirt, grime and blood, "Maybe you two should get a bit of sleep, you look like hell."

"Don't have to tell me twice," Noctis drawled out, stretching his arms up in preparation to sprawl out across the ground. Prompto was right there with him, no longer feeling the need to fight it any longer as he fell over onto his back once again, taking in the warmth of the morning sun; the both of them listening to the uneven, but sure breaths of the brunette, coming out continuously with minimal hitching. Things would be alright now, they had to be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If anyone has requests as well, feel free to leave a comment or PM me with what you want. I just ask that it's nothing x rated, but romance is still alright, and just know that I'm best with hurt/comfort, but it doesn't have to be that, can be just about anything. Also keep in mind that these are things I'll be doing in between chapters/stories of my own works, so they may take time, but I'll try my best to get to them eventually.
> 
> Queu as of now:
> 
> cocosnolo  
Shiary, Kestrealbird, LadyRhin  
istoleyourcheesecake  
Tabbys_desire  
aoyuna  
TheGizzYall  
TheBigbyWolf  
mutini


	3. A Moment to Rest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Noctis wakes up feeling a tad less than ideal. So, as usual, cuteness and just overall fluff ensue.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta read by: Sinikka_von_Wolperting
> 
> Request for: cocosnolo
> 
> Wanted to take a bit more of a light-hearted approach to this one, so hope that's alright.

He wasn't sure if it was just him, or if the sun just happened to be slightly more pestering and irritating than normal. Even with still shut eyes, the rays seemed to be attacking his retinas with a force to be reckoned with. Noctis groaned as he turned away from it, the small movement sending small penetrating surges of pain through his skull. Sleep was pleading with him to return to it, but his body, for some unexplained reason, was denying it the pleasure of his company. Turning until he was face down, he wrapped a shielding and protective arm around his head, allowing it to bury his head; only issue with that, though, was breathing was rather difficult, more so than it should have been.

And, now that he was more awake, he was crudely made aware to how insanely hot the tent was; not its usual stuffed and humid heat, but a raging inferno that felt to be emanating off his insides in flaring wafts. He groaned again, the discomforts of the sensation beginning to grate on his already suffering nerves. As he lied there, utterly and fully miserable, his ears picked up on the shuffling just outside, and to his dismay, he realized that whatever it was, was gradually growing closer.

Noctis peaked an eye up over his arm, just enough that didn't require any strenuous effort on his part, and glared at the entrance, waiting for the disturbance to finally make their unwanted appearance. The moment he made out the golden tuft through the blinding assault of light, he knew he was in for a long, and less than pleasant day. Of course, he didn't mind the blond at all, but at times he could be...too much.

"Wakey wakey, up and at 'em," Prompto crawled in, practically lying himself across the prince, who in turn, grumbled his disagreement with the action.

"'Et off," he slurred, turning his head back to the side, "I'll get up later." He flailed a clumsy hand at the weight still draped over him, feeling it connect with something with an accompanying, 'Hey!' though he had no idea what part he had actually struck. But, it served its intended purpose of getting the lump to move.

"Jeeez, fine, have it your way," the other stepped away, hand over his nose as he left, but just as Noctis thought he might get at least a few more minutes to himself, the gunner had his head poked back through, "Oh yeah, I almost forgot, Ignis said hurry up before your food gets cold." And, once again, he was gone, leaving the prince to his own devises. He let out a barely audible whine, knowing that if he didn't get up soon, either Gladio or Ignis would be coming after him, and they, unlike Prompto, weren't quite as easily deterred.

He mentally prepared himself for the laborious struggle this was going to take, and with a grunt, pushed himself up to his knees. Already he was panting as fresh specks of sweat began prickling across his forehead, and dammit, why was this so difficult. Noctis gave himself a moment to catch his breath and compose himself at least a tad to keep the prying eyes of the others off him for a little while. Eventually, of course, they would find out something was amiss, but if he could keep his dignity for at least a portion of the day, then that would be spectacular.

Huffing out a breath of heated air, he pushed himself up to his feet, the sudden shift in position causing his sight to waver ever so slightly, but not enough to be over concerning. Though, it was still enough to be a nuisance, and fortify his crippling longing to curl back up and just lie there for a few days. 'Come on, just try to look normal,' he told himself, working up the motivation required to step towards the exit. And, with a quick draw back of the material, his other hand immediately lifted to protect his sensitive eyes from the blaring rays.

"About time you decided to join the world of the livi-" Gladio stated, cutting himself off as he soaked in the other's deathly appearance. Raven hair clinging to pallid features, in fact, the only parts that's weren't ghostly were the dark circles under his eyes and the red dusting across his cheeks.

"Dang dude, You look terrible," Prompto finally noticed, though, to be fair, the lighting in the tent wasn't the best.

"Noct?" Ignis inquired, on his feet in an instant as his caring instincts kicked in and he was strolling over to the prince's side. "Tell me, how are you feeling?" he asked, going into full-fledged doctor mode, placing a hand against the other's face much to his chagrin.

Grumbling, Noctis swatted at the uninvited touch, "I'm fine," he mumbled, "It's a cold, nothing to make a big deal over." His words came out slightly strained and congested, losing all credit they may have had in the convincing department. "I think I just need some sleep is all," he sniffed forcefully, trying to clear the blockage that seemed to have suddenly appeared there, beginning the frustrations he knew he would have to tolerate for the remainder of the day.

But, despite his pressing protesting, Ignis reached out for him again, this time holding his hand steady and firm enough to get a relatively accurate assessment before the prince had the chance to flinch away. "Funny," the adviser began incredulously, "Doesn't fell 'fine' to me. In fact, I'd say it's quite the opposite of that." He brushed his hands together, turning his back on the other to make his way back towards his station, "I'll make something a bit more suitable for your current state; how does a bit of broth sound?"

The other deadpanned and cleared his throat, "I'm capable of eating whatever it is you already made. Wouldn't it be wasteful to just throw it out?"

"Nonsense," The adviser quickly retorted, the clattering of pots and other various items being shuffled as he searched for his needed equipment, "Soups are ideal for the ill, so it's what you're getting." Noctis sighed in defeat, and sauntered over to take a seat in the remaining empty chair. Looking towards the others, he felt a twinge of envy at seeing them enjoying their expertly-prepared eggs and bacon; neither of them so much as offered him a bite. Though, to be fair, he was sure they feared the wrath of 'mother' if they were to do so.

The worst part? They were both blatantly aware of his staring jealousy, and yet, still continued to enjoy their breakfast without a hint of remorse; he felt an eye twitch at that. So much disrespect concentrated in such a small and compact area, it was utterly disappointing. "Really hope you guys are enjoying yourselves," he muttered bitterly, sinking in his chair and folding his arms.

"Yeah, this is actually pretty good," Prompto replied obliviously over another mouthful. Glancing over, he swallowed his bite hard, "Oh...Uh, sorry." he glanced back down to his plate sheepishly, yet still, he had the audacity to stab his fork down again. No shame, not a single drop of it in his entire body. And Gladio, he was no better; he never even had a split moment of guilt like the blond had.

"Are you two for real?" he asked, face screaming out his discontent with them for their rude behavior.

Gladio grunted, "Last time I remember, you never changed your eating habits for the sake of others, so why should we?"

"He has a point," the other agreed.

"I hate you bot-" he twisted his head to the side, only able to block a portion of the sneeze with the crook of his arm, however, a good amount was able to make their escape. Noctis looked up at the sound of a throat being cleared, and to his dismay, met green orbs glaring down at him. "Sorry 'bout that," he glanced back down at the few wet specs sprinkling the man's attire. Ignis said nothing, but held out a steaming bowl towards the prince. "Thanks," he carefully took the offered meal, cautious not to spill it. The adviser nodded back, pulling out a handkerchief from his pocket and began dabbing the soiled area of his jacket.

"Bless you, your Highness," he breathed out, eyebrow twitching with cumbersome annoyance. "Once everyone is finished, I suggest we get moving, head towards a hotel of sorts in order for you to get some proper rest."

"And what's wrong with sleepin' outside?" Gladio asked, finishing off his own breakfast and setting the plate aside, "If anything the elements would work wonders on that pathetic immune system of his." He leaned back, crossing one leg over the other, "You know it's true." he added, catching the quick and glaring eye of the brunette.

Ignis stuffed his cloth back in his pocket, he'd remember to trash it later, "I'm afraid that's what got him into this mess to begin with. What, with all the drastic changes of temperature from sweltering in the day to freezing at night, not to mention the occasional sprinkle we are oh so fortunate to get caught it," he said the last part bitterly, heading back to his own seat. "In hindsight, staying outdoors every night for a week straight may not have been our wisest decision. It's a wonder we aren't all suffering some sort of ailment."

"Speak for yourself," Gladio smirked, "I, on the other hand, can handle it."

"Well, woopdie freaking-" Noctis careened his head to the side once more to unleash another torrent of sneezes, "Doo for you," he finished with a wet sniffle, going to wipe his nose across his sleeve, but the throat clearing form the adviser cut him off.

He pulled the already ruined handkerchief back from his pocket and handed it over. The prince wrinkled his nose to its disheveled appearance, but took it regardless, only between his forefinger and thumb, but he still accepted it. He didn't even bother thanking the man again; he had a feeling he would be saying it all day if he kept his manners up. Reluctantly, and trying to forget the germs that were infesting the cloth as it were, he swiped it across his nose, cringing as he did so. "Dis suuuucks," he whined, bowl still clutched in one hand as he slid down in his chair, nearly spilling some of the broth with the action.

"I'd imagine, you sound disgusting," Prompto threw in his unsolicited two cents, biting down into a strip of bacon, "Just be sure to keep it away from me."

The prince set him with a dirty scowl, "I'm coughing all over your pillow first."

"Dude, don't you dare," the blond perked up, leaning forward in his complaint.

Ignis merely sat there, lowering his head into his hand, thumb massaging his temple lightly as a light pain began to throb in the area, "Gods so help me," he muttered, shaking his head, "Do try to get along, children."

"He started it," Noctis half pouted, taking the bowl and lifting it to his lips in order to slurp from it, rather noisily at that, most likely out of spite.

Prompto set his own now empty plate aside so he could cross his own arms, "I'm not the one making threats, Mr. 'I'm sick, so why not give everyone a taste.'" Prompto smiled lightly to himself, knowing full well exactly how to ruffle Noctis' feathers, especially when he was fighting a cold and not in the best condition for comebacks or quips. But, damn, it was entertaining to watch him try and become flustered.

In response, he huffed out irritable, and dramatically so. Going as far as to drink his broth as annoyingly as he could, earning a pleased and victorious chuckle from the other at having accomplished what he wanted. "Prompto, please, keep your antics to a minimal; you have to remember, Gladio and I have to listen to this." Ignis asked, almost pleadingly.

"Ok, ok, I'll try to behave," he threw his hands behind his head in mock relaxation and crossed his legs much in the same way the shield had.

The remainder of the meal passed by in relative peace, aside from the more than frequent sniffle or cough on Noctis' behalf; but, other than that, the rest of the morning went over rather smoothly. And, before long, they found themselves packed up and heading in the direction of the Regalia. The largest of the four had taken it upon himself to take on the prince's burden, carrying his share of the load to spare what fleeting energy he still contained. Occasionally, he would glance back when he fell unnaturally silent just to be sure he didn't collapse on him, not that that was a possibility with the way Ignis was trailing after him like a lost puppy.

Though, both him and Prompto were painfully aware of how much their pace had declined in their attempt to compensate for the raven's depleting speed. Obviously the fever was already doing its part in draining him, and the sun was doing no favors to help him with that ordeal. "Everything going alright back there?" Gladio questioned, all previous humor departed from his tone, now replaced with that of genuine concern for the younger.

"Yeah," Noctis panted, swiping the back of his hand across his brow, "Just ready to...get out of this damn...heat," he spat the last word, tasting like poison on his tongue, bitter and potent.

"Need to take a break?" he replied, eyeing the thick beads of sweat rolling down the sides of his face, "It's not a huge deal if you do." The shield re-positioned some of his baggage, moving it from its original spot on his shoulder as stiffness was starting to settle in. "Just try not to push yourself, because if you pass out, one of us is gonna have to carry you, and I volunteer Prom if that happens," he cocked his head in the blond's direction, who stopped on the spot to give him a disbelieving look.

"What?!" he exclaimed, "You're the stronger one. I say you do it, and while your at it, you may as well carry all the stuff."

From the back, Ignis rolled his eyes as the needless and playful bickering played on; honestly, sometimes he was afraid he was the only one who took these types of situations at all seriously. He kept his gaze fixated on the prince, taking note of each falter and every hesitant step; constantly he had to stop himself from stepping in. He was old enough to not need him hovering the way he was, but still, he couldn't quite kill off the caretaker side of himself. After the third stumble, he could no longer stand back and watch, "Noct, perhaps you should take him up on that offer."

The other stopped the moment those words were vocalized, and a small nodding movement could be seen. Without his own reply, he carefully lowered himself to sit on the ground, not caring where they were nor how demeaning it may have appeared to others. He was exhausted, and honestly starting to feel slightly dizzy, not that he wanted to concern the others with these new sensations. Ignis especially; the man was already an overbearing mess when he was sick, so telling him that he felt like he was on the verge of passing out would only serve to multiply his worries. Then again, it would most likely frighten and frazzle the other more to witness him faint in the middle of walking.

With that one thought in mind, outweighing the rest, he waved the adviser over and gestured him to crouch down so that the others wouldn't hear his pride-damaging confession. Turning to face towards the other's ear, he whispered breathily, "I-I don't think I can...stay on my feet much longer." He swallowed thickly, swallowing past the embarrassment that took to admit, as well as the soreness that was swelling up in his throat. He shut his eyes against another wave of dizziness, breath picking up as the sensation stirred up a bit of nausea as well.

"Not too much further," Ignis encouraged, snaking an arm through his own, "If you need, I can assist you the rest of the way, but only if you grant me permission to do so. Though, if you truly are fairing as poorly as you appear, I suggest to take the help."

He thought about that proposition for a moment, knowing full well Ignis was right, but the action was sure to chisel away at his already cracking dignity. Clearing his throat, he met green and prying eyes before subtly giving his approval. Denying the help wasn't worth the lecture he knew he would receive later of things did happen to go wrong.

"A wise choice," he smiled, pulling the other up and letting him apply the majority of his weight against his arm, allowing him to support is little of himself as possible. The other two said nothing about this, they wouldn't stoop so low as to kick a man while he's down, even if it was purely out of jest. They knew the time and place for such things, and this definitely was not one of those. It only took a couple minutes for Noctis to feel a tremendous difference in his stability, the brunette being his rock and keeping him grounded felt damn near a miracle to him. Ignis, on the other hand, felt something entirely different; heat radiated off the raven in waves, and he could feel the sweat practically soaking through the prince's clothes and staining his own.

"It's just up ahead," Gladio called back, relief flushing through him after having to listen to Noctis' labored breaths for the last twenty minutes; no matter how long he had to bear with it, it never got any easier to hear. "Think you'll survive the car ride there?" he half joked, turning to face the other two."

"I'm jus' sick, not...dying," Noctis roughly reminded, face taking on an appearance of offense to that question. "Jus feel like it," he added, vision swimming before him again. Ignis nonchalantly compensated for his lack of strength, and quickly steadying him before he could topple over.

"Perhaps we should get you settled in," the adviser hinted, dragging more than leading him towards the backseat, "You should probably get some sleep before we arrive; I'm sure you could use all you can get." He released his hold just long enough to get the door open and herded him in, pushing his feet all the way in as well to prevent them from getting smacked from the door. "Are the two of you ready yet?" he asked, turning as the others were shutting the trunk.

"As ready as ever," Prompto gave a thumbs up, practically skipping forward as he gravitated towards the front seat and wasted no time hopping in. Ignis felt a small vein in his neck spasm at the manner of entry the other decided on, not even bothering to open the door. "You should consider yourself lucky, Noct," he sighed, making himself comfortable, "Get to take it easy for a bit, not having to worry about anything while the three of us wait on you hand and foot like some sort of royalty or something."

A scoff sounded from the backseat, half muffled from his face being pressed against the seat, partly hidden away, "I'll trade with ya."

"Uhhhh, thanks for the offer, but I'll have to say no, that crap sucks too much."

"Didn't think so," Noctis replied, turning his head in the opposite direction, using the back of the seat to shelter his heated features from further harm due to the sun. Not a minute passed and he could feel himself drifting off, the sensation of floating thankfully chasing away his failing limbs; the feeling was almost surreal, disorienting yet gratifying. He was almost out for the count, so close to being home free, until he was so rudely disturbed by his head being lifted, something sliding underneath it as words were spoken. He tried to voice his discontent, but he was fairly certain nothing but incoherent mumbles and grumbles came out. Eventually, though, his logical side did kick in, and he was pretty positive he was lying on someone, then he was able to figure out it was Gladio's lap. Normally, he would have moved, rejecting such an awkward position, but honestly, he didn't care anymore, he just wanted to go to sleep.

* * *

  
He felt something damp, damp and quite annoying prodding at his face, so in a feeble attempt, he swatted at it. His hand came into contact with nothing, missing its target entirely. But, as he went to go for a second try, it was firmly held down, someone else's hand wrapping around his wrist. 'Come on,' he though, 'Just leave me alone will ya?' It was irritating, why couldn't anyone just leave him alone and let him suffer in peace? Was that really too much to ask for? Whoever it was continued their repetitive action of dabbing at his face, despite his obvious distaste to the gesture.

"Noctis, would you please be so kind as to quit your fussing," he heard Ignis speak, and was able to easily put two and two together. The prince forced open heavy lids, wakefulness slowly washing over him, and found the man himself staring down at him, a concerned and thoughtful expression gracing his face. "You've been out for a few hours now, I'm still surprised being moved didn't wake you," he informed the younger subtly, still swiping the moistened cloth over his forehead.

"Hmm," Noctis hummed, signifying that he had heard him. Then he glanced around lazily, eyes landing on the other two a few feet away, playing cards at the only table in their room; and, form the looks of it, Prompto was losing, terribly. "How long?" he asked, voice hoarse from lack of use, and sore from coughs and congestion.

"Like, I said, only a few hours. Perhaps three and a half to four hours if you want to know the specifics." He scanned over the raven's features, his pale and flushed face, "I'm almost positive that walk in the heat didn't do you any favors," he offered a light smile, "But, as you said, it's just a cold. A pretty hard-hitting one, but a cold nonetheless and will be just as simple to deal with."

"Oh, alright," he replied, not wanting to provide more of a response than that, the words grating against his throat painfully.

The brunette took the material away and set it on the side table, "I'll get some water, that should help a bit." With ease, enough so not to disturb the bed, or it's cargo, he walked off, disappearing around the corner. A few lethargic blinks passed over his eyes, and he turned to face back towards the other two, noticing them finishing up their game; Gladio laughing to himself as the blond voiced his upset at being defeated.

"So, had a nice nap?" the gunslinger asked, once he was done with his over dramatic complaints, "Man, you were out like a light, you should have seen it. Didn't so much as bat an eye at being carried like some damsel in distress." He sauntered over as he spoke, and none too gently, plopped himself on the bed next to him, "Seriously though, how're ya feelin'?" He set his friend with a steady and genuine gaze, meeting his eyes.

Noctis shrugged, "I dunno, like I've been hit by a truck...or two." He let out a few dry coughs, almost doubling over with the force and pain it brought on. "Ugh!" he whined, "Jus want it to be over already."

"Times like this, I'm jealous of the big guy, getting over illness in a matter of a day or two, I swear, totally unfair." Prompto feigned pouting, stretching out next to the other. Too bad you and I aren't quite that lucky. Not even as lucky as Iggy, only getting a minor cold once in a blue moon. Honestly, kinda freaky if you ask me."

Noctis set him with a hard stare, not really knowing how to respond with his brain not wanting to function properly; simple words and sentence structure abandoned with his sense of dignity. His face soon contorted with the approaching tickles of another sneeze, teasing the inside of his nose in its wake. In his split second of discombobulated panic, he grabbed onto the nearest thing he could and used that to stifle the outburst before it could spray everywhere.

"Bro!" he heard the blond exclaim next to him, voice high from both disgust and shock, "Are you serious?"

The other sniffed to make sure nothing was gonna drip out, then looked down at his grasp, "My bad," he sounded uninterested as he let go of the blond's bandanna, still tied around his arm.

Prompto began untying the cloth from his arm, in a hurry to get it off him as if his skin were going to absorb the germs, "Dude, you have tissues. Right. There," he emphasized the words with two jabbing points at the table next to him, box sitting on the side closest to them. With a quick hand, he thrust the object onto the floor, far away from him and his 'clean' body; he didn't want to risk keeping it on his person at this point.

"They were too far away," he excused, relaxing back against his pillow now that the initial spasm of the sneeze had left his body. "Besides, it's more fun to annoy you." The other blankly stared back, an empty stare void of emotion. Noctis cut his eyes over as he felt the glare on him, "Wha?"

"Nothing, just thinking about what kind I'd like you to replace that one with since now I gotta burn it," he glanced down at the ruined piece of material, wrinkling his own nose at it now.

"Think you are able to sit up on your own?" Ignis asked, hand at the ready to assist if the need was there. The prince nodded, wincing slightly as the movement reminded him of the dull pains he was having to deal with drill through his skull at a steady pace. Carefully, and having to put both hands to use, he eventually got himself sitting up and leaning against the headrest enough to be handed the glass. "And, I know I needn't tell you this, but do try to drink it slowly, as I am sure you remember this by now."

There was no reply, his gratefulness at finally having something to relieve his dry ad burning throat too overwhelming to give any sort of acknowledgement. "Also, I would ask that you take these," he reached his hand towards him and turned it over, a few pills in hand. Catching the look he was receiving at the offer, he quickly explained, "One is a pain reliever for the headache, one is a fever reducer, and the third should help with the cough. And, of course, there is the possibility of at least one of them making you drowsy."

Noctis couldn't help but roll his eyes, why was he even surprised, this was always the adviser's reaction whenever anyone got sick. Someone couldn't so much as sneeze of cough without him breathing down their necks, medicine in one hand and water in the other. All the while staring you down with that prying stare until you had no choice but to give in. But, he couldn't deny the fact that he was much appreciative of the care you took when it came to any one of them. He muttered his thanks and took the pills, taking them one at a time for fear of choking on them with his throat the way it was.

"You should get some rest now while you can, remember, we still have somewhat of a schedule I'd like us to stay fairly on track on," he pushed his glasses up as he looked off to the side, "Even though we have already deviated from the plan quite a bit as it is," was spoken more of an afterthought.

"I don't see why we can't just stay here for a few days until he's back to a hundred percent," Gladio yawned, stretching himself out across the other bed, eyes threatening to close any second, "Been a while since we've been able to relax without fear of being ambushed by something or another."

"And what happened to that nature spirit of yours?" Prompto asked jokingly, "Thought you wouldn't be able to wait to get back out there."

The shield shrugged heavily, "I mean, I do prefer the outdoors, but I'm not gonna decline a soft bed and hot shower." He let out a satisfied moan as a few vertebrae popped pleasurably.

"I'm sure," Ignis answered, knowing the truth for what it was, "Anyway, just focus on getting better for the time being, and if you happen to feel better by morning, then maybe then we can discuss future plans." In other words, that was Ignis language for: 'Take your time, we'll stay here as long as required until you're well enough.' "And, as always, don't hesitate to say if you need something, the last thing we need is for you pushing yourself, or anything of that nature. I also want you to drink that before you fall asleep, you're sweating out everything, so you need to stay hydrated. Also, don't forget..." his voice was quickly fading out, the prince's disinterest in the advice quickly growing. Either that or the medicine kicked in fast, though he was willing to bet it was the former. Though, he had to admit, his overprotective and drawling voice worked as the perfect white noise to go to sleep to if nothing else, so in a way, he was helping.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If anyone has requests as well, feel free to leave a comment or PM me with what you want, or message on Tumblr (I go by the same name on there). I just ask that it's nothing x rated, but romance is still alright, and just know that I'm best with hurt/comfort, but it doesn't have to be that, can be just about anything. Also keep in mind that these are things I'll be doing in between chapters/stories of my own works, so they may take time, but I'll try my best to get to them eventually.
> 
> Queue as of now:
> 
> Shiary, Kestrealbird, LadyRhin  
istoleyourcheesecake  
Tabbys_desire  
aoyuna  
TheGizzYall  
TheBigbyWolf  
mutini  
Silverheartlugia2000  
itsscrow  
cinqluna  
'Anonymous'


	4. A Pinch of Sweetness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ignis and Prompto have a moment to get to know each other, a bit of bonding when the adviser suspects the other to be another 'friend' that's only using Noctis for status.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta read by: Sinikka_von_Wolperting  
Request for: Shiary, Kestrealbird, LadyRhin
> 
> This is the one I kinda combined the three requests, so I hope I managed to hit the things the three of you wanted, if not, feel free to let me know and I'll do separate ones.

He crouched down, just far enough to be able to peer into the glass of the oven, eyes observing the rising baked goods which resided within warily. This time, he was sure that this would be the time that they would be perfect; it had to be the time. Every previous attempt had ended up with less than ideal results, of course, they weren't by any means terrible in any way, but they weren't exactly what he was trying for. Ignis mumbled under his breath, cursing the prince's lack of a memory for what felt like the millionth time this month. Honestly, how the hell was he supposed to recreate something he didn't even remember himself. But, he would continue to try nonetheless. Sighing, he placed one hand on the counter and pulled himself back up, for there was no use in watching; staring at them while the baked wasn't going to magically make them flawless.

The adviser ran an elegant hand along the granite, grabbing hold of his rag as he did so and pulled it off before quickly wiping the remainder of the flour and dough residue from his hands. Once their cleanliness was satisfactory, he swiped the cloth over his brow, the sweltering heat from the kitchen finally catching up to him. One carefully placed step in front of the other, he slowly made his way towards the sofa, and fell into it almost instantly. Soaking in its comfort, and allowing himself to sink into it, his eyes gradually began to slide shut; the only sound penetrating his ears was the fading and drawling words seeping out from the radio, static accentuated a word here and there. Soon, the sounds were nothing more than a nuisance in the back of his mind; he nearly jolted back upright at the crisp 'knock' the quickly cut through the rest, rudely yanking him straight out of his moment of relaxation. There was a suspended second of confusion as he glanced at the time. Almost noon, still far too early for Noctis to be back, not that he would have had the need to knock anyway, he quickly reminded himself.

With a small and incoherent mumble, he got to his feet, stretching out his stiff and protesting back as he did so. "One moment," he called out, strolling over at a leisurely pace; it wouldn't hurt them to stand there for a few seconds after all. Ignis eased the door open, peeking through the crack before opening it the rest of the way, and for a minute, stared at the golden tuft on the other side, "Argentum," he greeted, granting entry by stepping back and pulling the door with him.

The blond peered through, tossing a quick few glances around before pursing his lips and facing the brunette, face full of questions. "Um, where's Noct?" he asked, awkwardly avoiding eye contact. To be honest, he couldn't help but to feel a tad intimidated from the other's unnaturally polished posture and piercing gaze.

Ignis cleared his throat, swiftly glancing down at Prompto's shoes, specs of fresh dirt sprinkled around them. "Oh!" he jumped back in order to properly wipe his feet and re-entered sheepishly, still keeping his eyes downward.

"He's at school at the moment, you know, the place you should probably be as well." His voice was laced with unasked questions, a tone hinting at the fact that this was far from the place to be.

He fell silent, letting that statement simmer before it dawned on him, "Ohhh...OH!" He pulled out his phone and frantically checked the date, "You have to be kidding me, it's Friday? I-I thought it was Saturday." He went to stuff it back in his pocket, but in his state of alarm he faltered, dropping the device to the floor and winced as it skidded across farther inside. As if moving to quickly would startle the other, he kept himself low, one hand extended towards his phone as he moved, "I'm so sorry, I'll just grab this and be on my wa-" He froze part way, the adviser cutting off his view as he stepped between him and the electronic, easily scooping it up in the process. "Thanks," the younger mumbled as it object was placed in his hovering grasp, "I should uh, I should get going then."

"Hold on a moment," his voice halted Prompto, instantly dragging him back in, "No point in going now, by the time you get there, it'll be time to go again," he sighed, but not in an overly annoyed way this time. "Besides, I want to ask you a few questions, opinions and ideas I have not yet had the opportunity to discuss with a 'friend' of his Highness."

Prompto licked his suddenly dry lips and swallowed thickly, his nerves now running a muck under his skin, "Uh, you wanna t-talk?" he stuttered, staring dumbfoundedly at the older, standing in the same spot as his feet refused to move for the time being. "What about exactly? If you don't mind me asking, of course," he chewed the inside of his cheek and cast his eyes to the side, finally mustering up the courage to take a few steps inside the apartment.

"Don't fret too much," Ignis tried to reassure, seeing the slight tremble that adorned his shoulders and the slight falter in his step from his hesitant steps. "As I said, I just wish to ask a few questions, get to know this...associate of Noct's." The small and insignificant flinch didn't go unnoticed at the mention of that word. He waved a hand, gesturing for the blond to enter, "You may take a seat on the sofa over there. I'll be over shortly, but I have to take care of something real quick."

Again, he swallowed hard, the lump in his throat seemingly doubling in size as his eyes found his destination and his feet cautiously carried him towards it, each step sunk comfortably yet menacingly into the carpet. "Um, alright," he quietly squeezed out and lowered himself onto the right side, as close to the arm of it as possible. As he sat there, slowly being consumed by the piece of furniture, he heard a shrill 'ding' sound off in the other room followed closely by an almost inaudible squeal of something being pulled open. The aroma that trailed after was nothing short of mouthwatering; Prompto didn't think he'd ever smelled anything that was that tempting.

"So, I am aware that the prince is, might I say, fond of you," Ignis began, placing a tray of some sort of fluffy desserts upon the counter, steam mesmerizingly streaming from them, "And I cannot help but wonder why that is." The younger leaned farther into the cushion, unconsciously making himself smaller in the other's presence. "I don't want you getting the wrong idea, I am by no means insinuating anything, but you must be aware of how many try to weasel their way in; so many see Noctis as nothing more than a ticket into luxury. So, I'm sure you understand my wariness with new people entering his life."

He could feel his heart rate pick up its pace as his hands became slick with anxious jitters; he felt like a date being interrogated by a protective parent, something he had no experience with, but he could definitely feel it. "Wh-what do you mean?" he asked, words trembling subtly.

"What I mean is, what are your intentions with Noctis?" Ignis leaned his elbows on the counter and bore those penetrating green eyes into the blue ones, searching desperately for any signs of dishonesty, "And I want the truth, no beating around the bush."

For an extended minute, they only held eye contact, Prompto's response getting lost somewhere between his head and his tongue; he wondered what it was exactly the man expected to hear, or rather what he wanted to hear. Taking a deep breath, he started, "I, uh, don't really know," he shrugged bashfully, tearing the contact away and a hand scratched idly at the back of his neck, "I guess he just seemed...right?" He blushed at the wording, it was downright awkward and felt far too casual for a man that held himself to such formal standards. "I mean, Noct-er, Noctis just seemed to be natural, I guess. If that makes sense, sir."

The older could practically see his shoulders tense with each word that passed through his lips, every syllable dragged him closer to the arm of the couch until he was pressed firmly against it. "I see," he stated calmly, keeping a watchful gaze on the blond for a moment longer, "And what are your thoughts on his majesty?"

Prompto bit his lower lip almost painfully, and he wanted more than anything to just leave, just to run out of this uncomfortable situation. But, he knew that there would be no excuse he could give that wouldn't be obvious. "Well, I guess I would consider him a friend, or as much of one as I can. I don't exactly have the best track record when it comes to that, but from what...from what I can tell I think this is a pretty good one."

He could feel himself shrinking under the brunette's scrutiny as he weighed his reply internally, a hand drifted to his chin as he lost himself in thought and considered the words spoken silently. "Very well, I suppose that will suffice as enough of an answer for the time being." A heavy sigh was heaved out on the other end of the conversation, relief washing over him while he allowed himself to relax by a small degree. "But," his single word perked the blond back up in an instant, "this doesn't mean I've completely decided how I feel about you yet, so do try to behave yourself."

"O-of course," he stammered, straightening his back and attempting to slow his pulse down to a reasonable pace. It wasn't until then that he remembered the earlier revelation, "So, if you don't mind me asking, what did you mean by 'others trying to weasel in'?"

Now it was Ignis' turn to look away, the memories of previous 'friends' resurfacing, none of which left a pleasant taste in his mouth; nothing but bitterness and discontent. "As I mentioned earlier, there are those that only wish to use Noctis' status as a means to boost their own, which most would expect to be the case. They have no real interest in the prince himself, but merely his standing, and that's it, which is why I must be overly cautious with those he chooses to allow to get close to him. It's nothing personal, but it's something that must be done." In one fluid motion, he pushed himself away from the counter and scooped up the now relatively cool tray as he strode into the other room with grace one would expect from the prince's adviser.

As he walked by, he slid the tray onto the coffee table and casually took the seat next to Prompto; crossing one leg over the other, he glanced at the other, "I've been trying to recreate something Noctis was keen on when he was younger. Haven't yet been able to revive the nostalgia for him, but I believe I'm getting close after years of attempting it." He turned back to face the younger in time to see the split second there was a faint shine behind those sky-infused orbs, "You're welcomed to try one if you want, I made far too many anyway."

He spun his head around to face Ignis, "Oh, I um, they look great and all, but I probably shouldn't." His hands fiddled in his lap as his head once again dropped, "I'm sorry, I don't mean to be rude, but well, I'm kinda...trying to watch what I eat." He mumbled the last words, embarrassment washing over him at the simple mention of his dieting and whatnot. "They smell great though, if that counts for anything."

That was enough for him to read the underlying message, "No need to apologize, I understand," he held up a hand in a gesture of forgiveness, "Though, I do appreciate the compliment."

Prompto noticed the slight drop in the other's features, it wasn't overly noticeable, and if he hadn't been searching for it then he would have missed it, but it was definitely there and he felt a small ping of guilt in his chest. He hummed to himself, "I guess trying one wouldn't hurt, right?" He offered a sideways smile, genuinely feeling like he made the right choice by changing his mind just by the change in the other's features.

"I don't suppose so. I take it you would like to give them a try then?" Ignis waited for the signaling nod of approval before reaching over and plucking one of the pastries from their pan and placed it gently in the blond's waiting hand, "And again, I want your honest opinion on it."

The gunner nodded shortly and took a few seconds to take in the appealing puffiness of the delicacy, squeezing it carefully between his thumb and forefinger in a way to test its sponginess. He almost didn't want to bite it, the thought of ruining its perfection sounding almost like a crime in his mind. But, the urge to find out for himself if it tasted as amazing as it looked was far too strong to resist, and cautiously, he pinched a generous chunk off the side; he nearly dropped it when creamy filling oozed out from the small opening. Quickly, and without thinking, he used his tongue to swiftly lick it away before it had the chance to drip onto the pristine carpet or sofa. The flavors molded over his taste buds, enveloping them in blissful paradise. Ignis obviously noticed the way his expression lit up because leaned back in his seat with a satisfied smirk on his face.

Prompto hummed at it once he had a moment to truly appreciate its gracious sweetness, "Wow," he stated in sheer astonishment, "I'd be lying if I said it wasn't the most amazing thing I've ever tried." And he wasn't even trying the pastry part yet; that was nothing more than just the filling. Remembering the chunk that was still between his fingers, he plopped it in his mouth and began to chew slowly, relishing every second of it. "Whoa, dude...uh, Ignis," he corrected himself instantly, glancing away for only a moment, "This is freaking awesome." Flicking his tongue to the corner of his mouth, he scooped up a bit of residue, blushing slightly from embarrassment.

"Even so, I fear they still may not be up to standards when compared to Noctis' memory of them," the older sighed, leaning forward once again to grab one for himself. "Every attempt seems to be a step in the right direction, every one getting closer and closer to the original, but I still have yet to make a breakthrough with them," he turned the dessert over in his hand and lifted the other to grab the other side; in one graceful and quick motion, he tore the treat in half, somehow not spilling a drop in the process.

"Progress is at least something though, right?" the blond asked, finally meeting the brunette's gaze for the first time, "I mean, nothing happens over night. Trust me." He took another bite, "And believe me when I say, he should be happy enough with these, they would be hard to beat I imagine."

Ignis stared for a few seconds, for once at a loss of words, it felt strange in a way, to receive such compliments from someone he barely even spoke to, "While I do appreciate those kind words, I still desire to recreate them perfectly."

"You have more patience than I do," the blond pushed the remained past his lips, "I can't even properly work an oven," he said between chews. He was about to speak again, but the sound of the other clearing his throat told him that was a bad idea. 'Right,' he thought, 'no talking with food in your mouth, you idiot.' Once he got it down, he decided now was a more appropriate time for conversation, "All I'm saying is, I think these are good enough."

The adviser felt a small rush of warmth with those words, "Thank you," he said simply, unsure of what else to say at that point. "Well, I believe Noctis will be home within the next hour, so, you're welcome to wait here until he gets back. I'm sure you wouldn't want to go all the way back home only to have to turn back."

He looked down to the floor then back to the older, "Does this mean that," again, he rubbed the back of his neck, "Does this mean that I'm approved. I passed the test to remain his friend then?"

"Indeed, I approve. I don't see any ill intentions, so I see no harm in the matter. So long as you don't give me reason to, that is." he gave a sideways smile that looked almost...playful, which seemed so out of place on the man's face, not that Prompto was complaining.

He felt like a tremendous weight had been lifted and he could finally breathe easier, and his thought were flowing quicker and clearer; he actually felt rather comfortable there now without the need to put up a facade of ease anymore while in Ignis' presence. "I promise not to let you down," he blurted out, jolting up to his feet, "And I'd love to take you up on that offer to stay, but I um, kinda need to go by the school now and pick up the work I missed," his tone faltered, dipping down into that of distaste. "But, uh, I hate to ask this, but do you think I could maybe have another for the road?" He had one finger pointed towards the tray, the other stuffed behind his back.

"As I said, I made far to many, help yourself." He waved a dismissive hand as he too got to his feet, "I have a few more errands I must attend to, so I'll trust you to see yourself out as well when you're ready." He turned away to make his way back to the kitchen and lifted a hand in a small wave, "I suppose I'll be seeing you around, so feel free to come by once in a while." He missed the light smile that adorned the other's features, a short second of real gratitude as he gently picked another treat from the pan, already taking a bit out of it as he strode over to the door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If anyone has requests as well, feel free to leave a comment or PM me with what you want, or message on Tumblr (I go by the same name on there). I just ask that it's nothing x rated, but romance is still alright, and just know that I'm best with hurt/comfort, but it doesn't have to be that, can be just about anything. Also keep in mind that these are things I'll be doing in between chapters/stories of my own works, so they may take time, but I'll try my best to get to them eventually.
> 
> Queue as of now:
> 
> istoleyourcheesecake  
Tabbys_desire  
aoyuna  
TheGizzYall  
TheBigbyWolf  
mutini  
Silverheartlugia2000  
itsscrow  
cinqluna  
'Anonymous'  
'Anonymous2'  
Prompto_Cam  
'Anonymous3'  
Mirai Lianna  
Touched


	5. Wrong Turn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ignis makes what seems like an innocent enough of a mistake, but things kinda get a bit out of hand rather quickly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta read by: SinikkavonWolperting  
Request for: istoleyourcheesecake
> 
> I was also asked to try and make it where Ignis could play it off for a while, not sure if this counts as a while, but it being a drabble of sorts, I guess it kinda works. XD

Ignis yawned, eyes slightly fogging over with the action as his sight momentarily became obscured; it felt as though he had been driving for days on end, and as far as he was concerned, he had been. He couldn't recall the last time they had stopped to take a break, or pulled over for a quick few minutes of shut-eye and rest. Already, the adviser had one elbow propped up against the door, head lightly resting against it in a desperate attempt to keep it upright. Behind him, he could hear the slight and soft snores of the prince and his shield, shamelessly napping while he was expected to keep an observant watch on the road. Of course, this was his job, so he had no right to complain about the circumstances. They were unfortunate, yes, but also necessary and an honor in a sense. He glanced to the right, glad to see that at least one of them had stayed awake, albeit more distracted with his beloved hobby to really be considered conscious at this point.

He couldn't quite cut off that small tingle of envy that tickled at his chest, being the 'responsible' one could really wear one down. He allowed a short exhale of frustration to creep its way out, his mind momentarily fleeing the task at hand in order to wander in its own direction and relish in the few minutes of burden free bliss; and that was it, just a few minutes, nothing more than that. Though, by the time his eyes refocused on his surroundings and soaked in the area around him, there was a split second of internal panic. Slowing down to a little more than a crawl, he glanced around, and tossed a quick look at the road behind him, and again, dread clenched at his heart; he didn't recognize any of it. And quickly he realized, he must have missed their turn, but there was no telling how far back that was now. Gazing in the rear view mirror, it was clear he had missed it quite a ways back.

The man cut his eyes over to the blond, who was still thoroughly engrossed in his photography, absolutely loving the scenery as his clicks had increased in number with less time between. Well, at least someone was getting something out of his minor slip-up. "Enjoying yourself over there?" he asked, hoping some idle conversation would lift his spirits and weary mind while he kept an eye out for the next opportunity to turn. He would have done so anywhere, but the road was a bit on the narrow side, not to mention the deep and treacherous trenches on either side. Though he was quite the exquisite driver, there wasn't a chance he was about to risk making a U-turn here.

"Ohhhhh yeah," Prompto replied, snapping another shot, this time training the lens onto the brunette whose eye twitched at the lack of warning he received. "Yup, I think that will make a great addition," he smiled as he looked back over the photo. He glanced from the photo to the road as he placed the device next to him, "So, uh, not that I'm not loving the ride and all that, but how much longer to we have to be out here?" He leaned back and folded his arms behind his head as he spoke.

The other man simply shrugged at the question, "Hard to say, I don't exactly have a GPS so I do not know the exact time we have left, but it's not too much farther." He kept his reply short and vague, intentionally leaving out the fact that he missed their designated turn a while back. "Just be patient."

"Man, I've been patient this whole time, this is really getting uncomfortable, ya'know?"

"Perhaps walking the rest of the way will remedy your little issue then," Ignis snapped back, quick with the sassy retort as per usual. He glanced over to see the other pursing his lips halfway between a pout and preparing for a comeback, though nothing ever came, "I didn't think so."

The blond stretched his arms upward, "Man, you're no fun," he strained out with the effort the action took.

"I'm not here to be 'fun', I'm here to make sure the prince makes it to his destination in one piece," he took another quick gander in the mirror, seeing Noct stir lightly as he shifted positions, a subtle moan slipping out when his head turned towards the beating rays of the sun. "So, until the essential task is completed in full, I'll continue to be the rain at your parade."

There was a light chuckle next to him, "Joke's on you, I happen to love the rain." His hands were back behind his head with a smug grin plastered on his face, and Ignis could feel his blood pressure ascend with the look of it. But, he had to admit, the petty exchange was doing its intended purpose in keeping him relatively awake and aware. And still, he kept an eye out for that turn, which had to come eventually, this road couldn't go on forever. "Looking for something?" came the gunner's voice, bounding up once again as he noticed the adviser's flickering and searching eyes.

"Nothing," he all too quickly responded, "Don't want to miss this turn is all, if I do, this will take even longer than it has to." 'Longer than it already is' he mentally corrected himself, still ashamed of his mishap. His hands unwillingly gripped the steering wheel.

"Uh, everything alright?" the other voiced his concern of the brunette's odd behavior, it wasn't like him to be this agitated, not to this extent anyway.

His hands unraveled just as quickly as they had tightened, "Yes, everything is fine," he sighed out, "I'm a bit tired, but I assure you, everything else is alright."

"Well, I could always take the wheel if you need a bit of shut-eye, I'm wide awake and all. I mean, I wouldn't min-"

"No," came Gladio's unexpected and a bit harsh reply, "I shouldn't have to remind you what happened last time we let you take it out for a spin," he quickly added, giving the younger a knowing and sly sideways grin.

Prompto's arms went from behind his head to crossed and over his chest, "Hey, that was not my fault, and we all know it. The Regalia just had a moment of...difficulties" He shrugged for lack of a better word choice.

"Yeah, and it went by the name of Prompto," the brute turned his head to gaze out his own window and laughed to himself at the highly audible groan that followed immediately after. It didn't take him long to notice the indistinguishable scenery around them, eyes glossing over the various foliage the lined the right side of the road, shrubbery he didn't recall being on the map, "Uh, Iggy? I don't mean to offend your abilities or anything, but we are still heading in the right direction, right?"

He breathed in deeply through his nose, his frustration building up, "Of course we are, who exactly do you take me for?"

"I wouldn't say the wrong thing," Prompto turned to lean over the back of his seat and lifted a hand to cover his mouth from Ignis' side, as if that would really make a difference and whispered, "He's a bit grumpy and snippy. I think he's gone too long without his coffee fix."

"I'll have you both know, if I seem a tad 'snippy' it's because I very well am," he started, jerking his head to where he could have both of them within view, "We've already lost valuable time as is, and I do not wish to dilly dally and risk wasting more ti-" He was abruptly and painfully cut off as something far from gently rammed into the side of their car and effectively threw them off course. There were few gasps and groans, the majority of them being drowned out by the chorus of whining and grinding metal. Luckily, they weren't in any devastating danger, but the force was enough to cause some concern, even managing to give the Regalia some fresh battle wounds.

Through now blurry and unfocused eyes, Ignis glanced up to see a few obscured, but rather large creatures scurry in front of them, and he could only assume it was one of them that had struck them. He lifted a shaking hand to his throbbing skull, and instantly pulled it away at the slick and heated touch of blood as it steadily streamed down the side of his face. The sight of that sparked up newfound worry for the others, particularly the one he was supposed to be protecting in the first place. "Noct?" he asked, swiveling his seat, swaying slightly at the dizziness the motion brought on, "Are you alright?" He couldn't stop the sigh of relief from escaping when he saw the tuft of raven-colored hair move to the sound of his voice.

"I-I think so," the prince's stuttering voice shakily replied, "What the hell happened?" he added once he took a sluggish and bewildered glance around, taking in the broken windows and...blood decorating parts of the interior; the crimson highlights really waking him up fully, "Ignis? What's going on?" He met the adviser's eyes, instantly honing in on the red that streaked his face, "You're bleeding."

He brushed it off, "Nothing more than a scratch. And everyone else?" he questioned, internally slapping himself for almost forgetting about them, the initial hit had been on their side after all. "Gladio? Prompto?" he called for each of them individually, trying to grab their attention.

He got two simultaneous groans in response, which to him was far better than that agonizing silence he was getting earlier, "What the hell were those?" Gladio opened his eyes, left hand shooting to his arm as a sharp pain shot through it. The tips of his fingers glanced over something slick and sharp, and the touch of it sent another sharp pain through his fingers. "Son of a bitch," he muttered, realizing it was a large shard of glass. Every attempt he gave at removing it failed as his grasp faltered over slick blood, each one resulting in another muted swear.

"Prom?" Ignis turned his attention to the last member, the only one who has yet to say anything, but he was conscious, so that was a good sign at least.

Said gunner finally turned his gaze, a small whimper escaping as he did so, "Yeah, I'm in one piece," he offered a dull thumbs up, one void of all cheerfulness. He glanced to the right and another gasp leaked out, "Oh no," he whispered, shoving any concerns for his own battered body down and reached for his door handle, growling in frustration when it wouldn't budge. It was jammed.

"What's wrong? Is everything alright?" Ignis watched on at the blond's sudden need to get out.

"No, everything is definitely not alright," he blurted out, resorting to climbing out through the window, barely aware of the broken glass as it snagged at his clothing and flesh,

A failing hand reached out for him, only to grasp at empty air now, "Stop, you need to stay put until we can assess everything," Ignis tried to warn, but the suggestion fell on deaf ears. "Prompto!" he raised his voice, this time managing to rake in his focus, "Calm down and tell me what's wrong." Prompto said nothing, but instead looked down to the ground, hands still gripping at the shattered window sill. Curiosity at its utmost limit, the brunette followed the gaze, eyes easily locating the cause of his upset.

"An anak calf?" he stared on in disbelief.

"That's weird," Gladio commented, fingers still busily working on removing the glass from his arm, "I didn't see anything about them being in this area when I read over the map."

The adviser tensed a bit at the shield's observation, and he was right, if they were in the right area, this wouldn't have been a possibility, "Perhaps a migration?" he offered, the idea even sounding ridiculous to him. But, the other seemed to consider it for a moment.

"Unlikely, isn't it the wrong season for them to be on the move like that?" he continued to pester with his questions, making Ignis' heart rate pick up with his own guilt. "Anyway," he changed the subject, much to the other's relief, "I guess we can worry about that later, but for now, I suggest getting this," he wafted a hand in the air, gesturing to the vehicle as well as their bodies, "taken care of." A pained whimper from the front followed by a few unsteady steps had his attention back to the blond, "Dammit, what are you doing?"

Prompto fell to his knees next to the calf, "What does it look like?" his hands hovered over the slightly writhing creature, agonized whines resonating from its trembling form, "I-I don't know what to do though. Ignis?" he asked, desperation clinging to his words. "You're good at this stuff, right?" His eyes found the green ones and forced them to hold the contact until he could see the signs of defeat from the slump of his shoulders.

"Very well, I'll see what I can do," The man gave in, "But, on one condition. First I want to check everyone else, then I'll check the anak. Sound reasonable?" He was answered with a quiet mumble and then a nod. "Alright, obviously Prompto is fine enough to climb out the window," he bit out irritably, "How about you two, think you're well enough to exit?"

Gladio waved a hand of approval and grunted as he followed the gunner's example and crawled out over the door, though with much more grace than the other had shown. Though, he did have to steady himself with a hand when his body didn't completely agree with the swift and uncalled for movement. Luckily though, it passed over relatively quickly and he was back on solid ground in no time. "Either of you two need help gettin' out?"

Both kindly declined the offer, insisting they could handle it on their own, though they all knew it was more so out of pride than anything. With simultaneous moans and groans, the two of them painstakingly worked their way out; the creaking of protesting metal from the doors being forced opened joined the fray of complaints. Noct let out a particularly strained yelp as he put a bit too much weight on his left leg; hands flailed until they could grab onto something more stable to right himself long enough to shift everything over to the right side. "Noct?" his adviser was at his side in an instant, grip already grasping at his upper arm to make sure he didn't collapse on the spot.

"I'm fine," the prince snapped, swatting that hands away, "Leg is just...acting up again, no big deal." He pushed away from the man, only to stumbled the next few steps, but still refused any form of help. The brunette breathed out in concern laden annoyance, but let the other be, and when he accepted the fact that he needed help, then he'd be there, as always.

"Just...don't push yourself," he stated flatly, easily strolling past Noctis and around the car to the trunk and popped it open. He fished out their first aid kit, silently thanking the gods that he remembered to stock up on supplies before their departure, though he was not at all pleased that he was putting it to use for such a situation. "Now, if you would be so kind as to take a seat so that I can take a thorough look over you," he turned to the prince and instructed gently yet sternly, making it clear that he wasn't accepting 'no' for an answer.

While Ignis did his part in inspecting the others for any injuries that stood out, or appeared as though they may cause some concern, the gunslinger remained crouched next to the calf, one hand easing under its head in order to lift enough for him to check over it; a small smile fluttered onto his face when he saw no immediate damage, but it just as quickly sunk away when another spasm racked the creature's body, "Hang on buddy, we're gonna help ya out, alright?" he spoke softly, almost a whisper, his own voice hoarse. "Just a bit longer, I promise," his thumb trailed behind its ear to stroke soothingly, attempting to provide some sort of comfort for the writhing thing.

"Prompto," the strategist called, having finished patching up the others, "It's your turn." He glanced over to find the gunslinger unmoving, having planted himself to the spot, feet rooting him in place as he stubbornly remained where he was. "Come one now, the faster you let me look at you, the faster I can check on the calf, so don't waste time," he tried to be logical about this, but the other still refused to budge from the animal's side. Pinching the bridge of his nose, he pushed himself up, coming to the conclusion that his efforts were fruitless.

The man sauntered over and lowered himself next to Prompto, "Alright, have it your way," he mumbled, ushering the younger to step aside so that he could have a look for himself at the damage. At the sight, his face fell as he clicked his tongue in disapproval, turning his head towards the other, he slowly shook his head, "I'm sorry, but I don't think anything I do would do any good." Seeing him about to protest, Ignis carefully rolled the calf over to its other side, revealing the deep and gruesome gash that ran along its abdomen. "Even if I could fix it, it's already lost too much blood and wouldn't make it far. It would be weak and easily picked off from the re-"

"I get it," was all Prompto said, hands hanging loosely at his side as his pistol materialized in one of them, "No reason it should have to suffer any longer though." He lifted the weapon until it was trained on the creature's head, hand trembling with his own anxious hesitation.

"Prom, you don't have to do that," Gladio said softly, reaching forward to forcefully lower his hand, "Hand that over, and I'll take care of it. In the meantime, go join Noctis so that Iggy can look you over." He had his gun in a death grip, small clattering sounding out from the shaking, "Prompto, hand me the gun," he repeated, more sternly until the weapon was finally dropped. "Thank you," he muttered, slowly pulling the pistol closer to himself, "Now, just go join Noct, we'll be leaving this place shortly." He watched the blond's back while he reluctantly walking away, slight falters in his step.

"He'll get over it," Ignis assured standing up, he stepped passed Gladio, placing a hand on his shoulder momentarily, "Try to get it with the first shot, please." The larger felt a little insulted considering it was a stationary target, but he understood and gave a curt nod.

He only took a few steps before he heard the shot ring out, the echo being the only sound following afterwards, soon to be replaced by eerie silence. Even from his distance, he could make out the telltale signs of a flinch produced by the blond from where he sat next to the prince. Walking as if nothing happened, he continued on and again, knelt in front of the two of them, "Anything hurt that I should know about before I look you over?"

The younger merely shook his head, "No, only a few cuts." Which he wasn't lying at least, but his indifference was pretty prominent. He held out his hands and turned them over to expose the palms, both of which had a few lacerations that still streamed fresh blood, but nothing too serious. Mostly likely due to him climbing out the window like he had.

Ignis made quick work with cleaning and dressing the wounds, never getting a reaction from the other, not even when he poured a generous amount of antiseptic over the cuts. "What about you?" he glanced up at the question, being slightly caught off guard by it.

"Hmm?" he looked back down to finish tying off the bandage, "What about me?"

"You're hurt too, aren't you?" Prompto nodded towards the other's forehead, "It's still bleeding, and you haven't even taken a look at yourself yet." Blue orbs followed the snaking trail of crimson that lined the adviser's face. "It looks pretty bad," he added as another drop descended from his chin to land in the blond's lap.

At first Ignis ignored the inquiry, but those eyes kept staring and demanding the issue to be addressed, "Head wounds always look worse than they are; they only bleed a lot, that's all." He swiped the back of his hand across his head, smearing the substance more so than actually removing it which only served to make it appear even worse, "I'll clean it up later though, so don't worry about it."

Prompto nodded slowly, accepting the acknowledgement of his own health at the very least, "Good, we don't need you passing out on us, I doubt any of us know where we are, and would probably end up getting us lost," he half laughed to himself, knowing the innocent statement to be true, but also completely oblivious to the irony within it.

"That...would be quite unfortunate," Ignis sheepishly agreed, one hand drifting to rub the back of his neck, "Anyway, if everyone is all set, we should really be on our way. I suggest we backtrack and hope we either come across another, or reach an outpost before nightfall."

"Or," Gladio started, joining back with them, gun hanging loosely in one hand as Prompto kept his eye on it, "We could keep going forward. We've been on the road for some time now, so our destination isn't too much further." He crossed his arms over his chest and shifted his weight over to one leg. Glancing down to the blond once he felt his scrutiny bearing down on him, he lifted the weapon up to gaze at, "Oh, guess I should give this back," he muttered and tossed it over. The gun was caught with ease, though that didn't mean there was a split moment where it was nearly dropped.

A hum of thanks and appreciation reached the shield's ears and was accompanied by the particles that signaled the weapon's dismissal. It was gone as soon as the metal had made contact with his hands, the want to have it out of his sight instant.

"I don't believe going forward would be the best option for us right now," the strategist stubbornly pressed, "We've already seen what kind of dangers are around here, and I do not care to wonder around exposed in such conditions. Going back is safer and most likely our best option."

The other let out an irritated huff, "That may be, but we should be close enough that going forward would be far faster, that is, unless you plan on spending the night out here." He placed his hands on his hips with a smug grin on his face, "I'll leave the final decision up to you, but that's just my two cents. I trust you to make the right one."

He bit the inside of his cheek for a moment, "We'll go back, I know for a fact that there is an outpost a while back, so there is no question about that. I would rather go with the option that's certain rather than the one that is unclear." They had a few seconds of a stare off, both of them silently fighting for control, but Gladio ultimately grunted and turned away, deciding to let the man do what he wanted, despite his gut telling him something was severely off.

"Alright," he spoke flatly, "Well, I suggest we go now while we still have daylight," he bit out, throwing in false calm in his own way of showing passive aggression. "Give me your hand," he instructed Noct, strolling over to stand before him with an outstretched hand. When the prince didn't latch on right away, he wiggled his fingers a bit in order to pull in his attention until he eventually did take the offered assistance. And, with a small groan of pain, he steadied himself on his feet and held the majority of his weight on his right leg. "You got it?" he asked, waiting for the younger's sign of approval before withdrawing his hovering hands.

"Yeah," Noctis waved a hand, limping a few steps away to stand alone, "I have this perfectly under control." His left hand shot down to clutch at his thigh, throbs of fire pulsating through it, but he did what he could to tolerate it.

Gladio looked back towards the other two who were still crouched down near the rear of the Regalia, "You two comin', or do you plan on camping out right there?" He shot for a bit of humor, but somehow missed the mark completely, the remark coming out more bitter than anything. Hearing his own taut tone, he gazed up at the sky, "We don't exactly have many hours of daylight left, so I would advise not taking your sweet time."

"Come on, Prompto," Ignis spoke softly, "He's right, we can't waste time." He went to stand up, but stopped when the other didn't move with him,. "Something wrong?"

The blond glanced up, looking back towards the cut on the adviser's forehead, "Yeah, you still didn't clean your own wound. I'm not moving until you let yourself get looked at too."

"I told you, it's just a minor cut, it will stop bleeding on its own in a short while, so there's no need to worry about it. Now get up so we can be on our way," he waved his hand for him to come along and straightened himself up, putting up an appearance of authority as he cast his eyes down at the younger. It took a moment of his heavy and piercing glare to convince him to finally pry himself from the pavement and brush himself off as he sauntered over, sulking to himself, "I promise it's nothing, alright?"

Ignis brushed passed the other two, shoulder shoving against the brute almost intentionally in his passing as he took the lead. He remained in the front for a few hours, making sure their pace stayed at that of a brisk one so as not to get caught in the night, especially considering none of them knew the area all that well, or where exactly it was for that matter; he only slowed it occasionally to let Noctis rest his leg momentarily to prevent it from giving out on him, if he were to hurt himself due to this, then he would never forgive himself. Luckily, as far as he could discern, none of the others were suffering from any effects of their little mishap, either that or they were doing a damn good job at hiding their discomfort.

Soon enough, the orange and yellow tendrils of evening stretched across the sky, and still they were walking, still no signs of that turn he had missed nor that outpost he had remembered seeing, and then dread began to creep up his spine; the realization that he had driven much farther than he had first anticipated dawning on him. He had assumed it had only been a couple minutes, but from how long this was taking it was painfully obvious it had been far longer than that. And, as if on queue, Gladio decided it was now the perfect time to remind the brunette of his earlier concerns, "At least the scenery is nice since we'll be looking at it for a while." The other man could feel the heated glare burning the back of his skull.

"How long do you plan on complaining about it? If it was really that big of a deal, then why in Eos did you leave the final decision to me?" Ignis finally snapped, stopping in his tracks to turn on the larger of the two, "Do you honestly think I intended for this to happen?"

"Funny, I don't remember saying a damn thing about you doing anything on purpose," he stepped a bit closer to Ignis, carrying himself in an intimidating manner as he locked eyes with him.

Tense silence strung out between the two, putting out an atmosphere of stress and anxiety; the others backing away instinctively when they could almost touch the challenging stare going on between them, "Guys, do you really think this is the time for this?" Prompto spoke up, glancing nervously between the two. "Iggy? Gladdy?" he called each of them, glancing form one to the other.

"Can't you two have your alpha battle some other time, I don't know about you guys, but I'd love to get out of this place," Noctis stepped up next to the blond, taking the opposite approach and going for more impatient and peeved rather than timid and cautious. "This is ridiculous," he scoffed under his breath, taking this as his turn to cross his arms.

The brunette looked over to the prince first, "Yes, this in fact can wait until later," he bitingly agreed, refusing to glance back at Gladio as he turned to face the length of the road once again and continued walking, "We can discuss this later." The shield said nothing, but instead huffed out his own exasperated breath and clenched his teeth to quell his pulsing anger and vexation as he took on the back to put as much distance between the two of them as was possible.

* * *

  
Just up ahead, Ignis' eyes snapped onto the hitch next to the road that hinted at their missing turn, but the question now was, whether he should acknowledge it or not. Doing so would be admitting to the other's that this was his fault, a situation brought on by his own distraction and mishap. Not to mention Gladio would never let him live it down, not after having had everyone put in danger like he had done. No, they would keep going and find that outpost and get the required equipment to get things up and running again. They would return to the Regalia, fix it up well enough to go on, and he would fix this by finding another way, no reason for the others to share the burden of this; it was on him to remedy this.

Silence was the only thing accompanying them other than the occasional 'caw' of a bird or other various natural noises, but nothing going on between the four of them. Frequently, Noctis would stumble, but whoever happened to be closest would always be there to ensure he remained on his feet.

By now, the shield was trailing quite a few feet behind the main group, lost in his own thoughts as he mentally tried to recall the details of the map, figuring out where exactly along their planned journey they were, but from what he was looking at, things weren't quite adding up. Either there were landmarks that should be there that he wasn't spotting, or quite the opposite. That combined with Ignis' uncharacteristic defensive behavior just didn't leave a pleasant taste in his mouth.

He remained at the back, slowly falling farther and farther behind, getting deeper and more intertwined into his own snaking thoughts and concerns. After a few moments, he had to do a few awkward hops and steps to prevent himself from falling when his foot caught on something, something that felt metallic and half buried in the ground. With a quick curse, he glanced down at it, and the first thing he noticed was how rust infested the object was, but there was a hint of a letter peeking out from under a particularly dense clump of decay. Crouching, he grabbed either corner of it and began to tug with a few grunts, being extra cautious to avoid slicing a finger or a hand on the brittle edges.

After a few strong and desperate hefts, he was able to yank it form the ground, dirt crumbling off it as roots that had taken years to embrace it snapped away; at this the other three snapped in his direction at the noise, and it was Ignis who immediately knew what it was and his heart and chest ached at what was about to come next.

"Ignis," Gladio stated, keeping his gaze down at the half visible sign. The entire name wasn't visible, but it was enough for him to figure out what it said. "Why the hell didn't you say anything?" He spun on his heel, sign still held tightly in his hands as he lifted it to be clearly seen by them.

"Gladio, you need to calm dow-"

"I need to calm down? I don't care that you missed our turn, or even that the car is a mess now. No, that's not what I'm pissed about!" he cast the metal plate to the dirt, a puff of dust fuming up to obscure it, "You lied about it."

For a second there was no reply, until he took a step closer to the brute, "I was going to fix it by taking a simple detour, it wasn't that big of a deal," he tried to reason, keeping his composure to that of calm and collected.

"Is your head really that far up your ass that it would have killed you to at least let us know about it? Your pride is really that damn important to you, that you tried to cover it up by coming up with excuses and bullshit explanations when we questioned the area?" With each word, he stomped closer, hands balled into fists and shaking at his sides by the time he was a mere two feet away, "You couldn't have said a goddamn thing about that!?"

Ignis did nothing to stop him, said nothing to pacify him as the front of his shirt was clasped in the larger's hand; his enraged and heated breath whisping down his neck as he tried to control himself, "And this is leaving out the fact that we could have easily been killed back there, and that would have been on you."

"Gladio, please, that's enough," the blond skipped forward and placed both hands on his upper arm, his own heart beating frantically at the sudden outburst.

"Stay out of this!" The larger growled, using his free arm to roughly shove the smaller away, "I want to hear what he has to say about this." Prompto licked dry lips as he cautiously stayed back this time, really not wanting to get on the man's bad side, not after witnessing first hand just how short his fuse could be. "Well?" he gave the collar a rough shake, fingers tightening into the fabric, "Let's hear it."

He let out a few strained and thin breaths, the hold on him proving to make the simple task somewhat taxing, "I have nothing to say," he whispered out lifelessly, already sounding completely defeated. "There is no excuse I can give on the matter, and I take full responsibility for it," he gazed into the amber eyes, so full of fire and fight, "But, I refuse to overreact and escalate things further." He finally lifted his own hand to grab onto the other's wrist, gripping strongly until he was dropped back to the ground. Turning away from the other, he went on as if everything was still fine, "Let's get going, it should only be a couple more hours."

Noctis and Prompto stood there, speechless and unsure of how they should react as they both flickered their focus from one man to the other, neither of them wanted to move. "You heard the man," Gladio finally spoke for them, "Better keep moving before it gets too late." His stare shot straight forward, right past them and even past the adviser as he used all of his pent up anger to focus on something in the distance, using his enmity as fuel for his search of that outpost in an attempt to stifle his urge to punch something...or someone.

The gunner shot an anxious look over to the prince, the unspoken concern translating easily to him, "Just roll with it, Prom," he sighed, patting him on the shoulder as he went, "Best to let them handle it."

"Yeah," Prompto uttered, keeping his eyes cast down at his feet. For the remainder of their walk, he stayed unnaturally, yet comfortingly close to Noctis, finding solace in the close proximity, and honestly thankful the other never commented on it.

"It's just up ahead," Ignis called over his shoulder, finally slowing his pace now that their destination was within sight and he could finally relax, even if just a minuscule amount. He risked a quick glance back, finding the youngest couple of the group following along, but also slightly lagging behind; it appeared as though they were naturally falling between himself and Gladio, trying not to wander closer to one of them over the other. It was a bit strange, but he supposed he didn't blame them for wanting to keep their distance and keep to themselves, not after that exchange anyway.

Reaching the bundle of buildings, he slowed to a stop and waited patiently for the rest to catch up before explaining their next course of action, "It's almost night, so we'll be staying in a motel for the night, and first thing in the morning, we'll purchase what we need and be back on our way." He met each of their gazes and ended up cutting his eyes at Gladio, "Everyone satisfied with this decision?"

"Fine with me," the dark-haired ground out, bumping shoulders with the adviser in order to step up to the front desk and pay for their room. Without another word, he lead the way, posture stiff and tight with his continuous flowing rage, burning as it ran through his veins with a scorching fury. Approaching their room number, he all but bust the door down, abandoning all endeavors at consideration for other's property lost in the stampede of frustration. The wood slammed into the wall on the others side as he stalked in and immediately took his seat in the chair nearest their window.

Ignis was next to stroll in and his first course of action was to assess the damage he was expecting to be done to the wall, and luckily and much to his relief, there weren't any visible marks at first glance. "Do be careful, we don't have the funds to be paying for repairs," he softly informed with his normal calmness. He unwittingly glanced in Gladio's direction, searching for any snippet of a reaction, and feeling a bit annoyed at the way he was obviously and utterly ignored.

"I don't know about you guys, but I'm going to sleep," Noctis pushed through and made a beeline for the bed, quick to sprawl himself out on it and make himself comfortable without a care in the world. But, on the inside, it was killing him not to say something about how the two, who were supposed to be the older ones, were acting; it was just like bickering children...or an old married couple. He lightly smiled to himself at the thought of that. Though, even in the silence, the tension between the two were working wonders in preventing him from drifting off, despite how exhausted and dead he felt.

He tossed and turned for what felt like an hour, though it could have easily just been a few minutes, either way it was far more than he could put with, the quiet feud echoing around him eating at him until he had to say something about it; he would get no sleep otherwise. "Ok, I've had enough," he shot up right, hair in shambles from his moments of turmoil, "One of you need to say something, anything, I don't care, but this whole pettiness is really starting to piss me off."

Prompto, who had perched himself on the other bed, flinched subtly at the tone that cut in out of nowhere, but he felt inclined to agree with it. All the animosity floating around in the air was doing a fine job of turning all of their moods bitter. "I think he's right, maybe if you two were to just sit, have a cup of coffee and talk things out, we can come...to an...understanding?" he trailed off when neither looked in their direction, stubbornly keeping to themselves.

"There's nothing more to say," Ignis eventually replied, "What needed to be said has already been said. We all are quite aware of how this happened, so further explanation is needless to put it simply." He leaned against the far wall, on the complete opposite side as everyone else.

"That's a bunch of bullshit and you know it," the prince retorted, switching his irritation over to the brute now, "And you're just over there sulking in the corner. Are you two gonna be like this all night?" His fingers gripped at the sheets, tangling within them while he continued to stare the other two down.

The blond was the next to speak, "Come on guys, it's over with, can't we just move on?" He pushed himself off the bed, wincing when the pressure pushed against his hands, "I mean, it was an honest mistake, one any of us could have ma-"

"And one that could have gotten Noctis killed," the shield snapped, now getting to his feet, "One that could have gotten us all killed. How is it that you all seem to be forgetting that one, very important detail?" His breaths were coming out in quick and short pants, his once more flaring emotions struggling to slip from his hold, "I seem to be the only one that cares about that!"

The adviser let out a noise that sounded somewhere between a scoff and a sigh, "I'm fully aware of the danger I put everyone in, I'm not going to deny that, but I'm not going to allow that mishap to further delay us nor will I permit it to hinder us in any way that it hasn't already." He changed his position into one more relaxed, one leg crossing of the other while his arms folded lazily in front of him, "As soon as we're back on the road, things will be just peachy."

"See?" Gladio feigned agreement, "Everything's fine, so let's just forget about it and move on." He dropped himself back into his chair and turned back towards the window, effectively leaving the conversation as well as the others to linger in the aftermath.

* * *

  
The night passed, albeit tediously and uncomfortably, none of them getting much sleep other than that which consisted of frequent and short naps, barely being enough to quite meet the requirements to be considered well rested. The four of them got ready in silence, a few passive aggressive glances were thrown and a few mutters and sighs were exchanged, but nothing that could pass as real communication. With one more completely done exhale, the prince stormed off outside, the need for some fresh air becoming overbearing and top priority; the air in the room was nothing more than toxic and suffocating.

Prompto was close behind him, not wanting to be left alone with the other two with them still behaving the way they were. Now alone, the two of them ceased their movements, taking on a stance of stillness, each waiting for the other to either speak or move first, and neither wanting to make the first move. After a couple unpleasant minutes, Ignis dropped his shoulders and drove his gaze over to rest on the other, "Look, I understand why you're upset with me, and I do not blame you. Had it been another that caused this, I'd be furious as well. That being said, yes, I am absolutely disappointed and angered at myself for making such a careless and foolish mistake. So, whatever you have to say, or whatever you think, I deserve it and I won't oppose any of it."

For a moment, the shield's expression remained stern and unphased, but the longer those apologetic and crushed orbs stared into his, he could feel his own temper cooling, and in turn, his face became softer and more compassionate. Not that it completely quelled his annoyance, but he could see how truly disturbed the man was by this. "Yeah, it's just as you said, this is from your own mistake, and we do have every right to be pissed about it." Ignis closed his eyes as his head dipped into a nod. "But," he picked back up, "There's no point in hanging on it, so let's just get what we need and get back out there. Just, don't do it again." He stepped up next to the brunette and let a heavy, yet friendly hand drop on his shoulder, "Come on, no need to keep them waiting."

"Noct is already quite on edge, so I doubt he would appreciate having to wait longer than he has to," Ignis smiled to himself at the thought of what the prince would have to say about being held up. "I'll be right behind you, I have one thing I need to take care of real quick." With a wave, the brute made his way out the door, leaving Ignis to do whatever it was he had to do.

The strategist lifted a tentative hand to his head, fingers brushing over the small and painful lump along his hairline while he strolled over to the bathroom. Stepping up to the mirror, he inspected his own wound for the first time and winced as he prodded at it. Like he had thought, it wasn't too bad, mostly just a minor flesh wound and a bit of bruising and swelling; something that would have easily gone away in a matter of a couple of days. But, to keep the others from pestering him about it any longer, he dabbed at it with a towel to rid it of any remaining dried blood and plastered a small bandage over it. Satisfied with his own handiwork, he scooped any of his belongings up and went to join the others, gently pulling the door closed behind him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If anyone has requests as well, feel free to leave a comment or PM me with what you want, or message on Tumblr (I go by the same name on there). I just ask that it's nothing x rated, but romance is still alright, and just know that I'm best with hurt/comfort, but it doesn't have to be that, can be just about anything. Also keep in mind that these are things I'll be doing in between chapters/stories of my own works, so they may take time, but I'll try my best to get to them eventually.
> 
> Queue as of now:
> 
> Tabbys_desire  
aoyuna  
TheGizzYall  
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'Anonymous'  
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laurelilith


	6. A Day to Recharge

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After Ignis wakes up with a stress-induced migraine, he's kinda forced into taking a break and taking a day to himself. C:

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta read by: SinikkavonWolperting
> 
> Request for: Tabbys_desire
> 
> This may not be my best, since it's so different from what I'm used to, but I tried my best with the limited knowledge I have. ;w;

He awoke to agonizing throbs pulsing through his skull, starting in the back as they steamrolled their way straight to the front; they flattened all logical and clear thoughts in their travels, eliciting a miserable groan form the man. A hand went to his temple, two fingers massaged small and pressurized circles over the spot in a fruitless attempt to alleviate the dull aches. An unintentional and muffled groan left his partially parted lips as he reluctantly pushed himself up onto one elbow; his other hand reaching and feeling around the table for his glasses until they eventually brushed over the frames. He kept his eyes shut as he slipped them on, afraid that opening them would reveal them to a whole new world of discomfort.

Ignis fought against the temptation to lie back down and let darkness claim him once again; that was out of the question, there was far too many errands to attend to and too many things left to handle. Calls to be made, and plans to be worked out, not to mention there was still breakfast to make and inventory that had to be checked and replenished. Just the thought of this unwritten list was enough to send new waves of needles to shoot through his skull. He glanced at the clock and jolted upright at the sight; it was past nine, and he internally scolded himself for having slept in nearly three hours. After having just woken up, he was already behind on his tasks.

"Dammit," he muttered under his breath as the sheets were thrust off, almost tossing them off the bed, as well as whoever was unlucky enough to be sleeping next to him. His bed mate grumbled under their breath, sounding suspiciously like the prince when the cover was yanked offhandedly back over his shivering form. The chill of the early morning reaching them even indoors. The adviser glanced over, a small ping of guilt prodding him after having tossed all consideration aside in his haste. So, this time, he got to his feet with caution, making sure not to cause too much commotion with his actions.

He only managed to make it to the table before he had to take a seat and put his head down; the rays leaking in through the windows making quick work of draining him of any toleration he had left. Slinking into the closest chair, he folded his arms over the wood and gently cradled his head in them, trying to will the pain to fade away. The amount of time he spent in that position was lost on him, the only thing tearing his concentration away being that of suppressed footsteps behind him followed closely by the gentle, yet firm hand falling upon his shoulder. "Hey," came the deep and calming voice of the shield, "You alive?" he asked with a sense of humor, concern lining the edges.

The brunette waved a hand up, "Debatably, yes," he turned his head just enough for his words to be understood.

"Really," the shield stated more than asked, "Is that why you haven't moved from the spot for thirty minutes?" At the mention of that, the other's head shot upright, the shock of the amount of time he had wasted driving him forward, "Whoa," Gladio spoke up at the newfound energy, "Calm down Iggy before you pop a blood vessel."

Ignis ignored him and continued to move about the place at a panicked pace, "Sorry, but there's too much to worry about and I'm already behind as it is," he tried to explain, his thoughts jumping all over the place as he wasn't sure what he should tackle first. A couple times, he would stop mid-step, only to turn on his heel when he decided something else was more important than another.

"Iggy," Gladio reached out a hand and grabbed a hold of his upper arm, successfully putting his pacing to a solid stop, "Calm down. We're gonna be here for at least a couple days, alright? I'm pretty sure it won't be the end of the world if ya took it easy for at least one of those." He kept his grip on the other, refusing to let go until he showed some sort of sign of at least slowing down for a moment; and, it took a minute, but eventually the brute could feel the tension drain from the muscle as Ignis carefully slumped his shoulders slightly.

"I know, but it's better to have everything ready and prepared than wishing we would have done something when things go awry. Which, for us, seems to happen more than I would care for." He met the other's gaze, "Besides, it's my duty to make sure everything is well taken car-"

"Yeah, yeah, I've heard enough of that," Gladio interrupted, waving a hand dismissive, much to the strategist's displeasure. "And I don't care what your 'job description' consists of." The man strode over to the counter where he shuffled around through some papers, filtering through them until his eyes caught sight of what he was looking for, "Here, I saw this last night while walking around the city and thought we should look into it, and right now I'm thinking you'd probably get more use out of it than the rest of us. So, you should really consider it."

His hands brushed over the brochure eyes scanning over and picking up on the one word word that jumped out at him...'spa.' "No," he answered swiftly, not bothering to read anything else and tossed the pamphlet to the table, where it slid to stop all the way to the opposite side, "No way, that is out of the question."

"Iggy, I'm asking nicely here, you know it's tempting," Gladio rounded to the other side of the table, and with two fingers, pushed it back near the other, "Just look through it a little before you decide you want nothing to do with it." He took a seat in his own chair, leaned back and crossed his arms across his chest, "I'm not gonna leave you alone until you at least give it some real thought."

"Gladio, this is ridiculous, I'm no-" he cut himself off when light tapping across the wooden surface reached his ears, "If it will humor you, then so be it." He, less than graciously, scooped the paper up and began lazily scanning over the various sections, never once really focusing on any of it. And, in less than a minute, he dropped it back to the table, "It's still a no," he flatly finalized, hand drifting back up to his temple to prod at it gently.

The shield sighed in hesitant defeat, knowing there really was no reasoning with the man when it came to his own well-being. Always so quick to make sure everyone else had it easy, but never stopping to add himself to the mix. "Specs, just go," they both turned at the unexpected voice, gazes landing on the prince, hair ruffled and eyes still half-lidded as he stared drowsily over at them, "Not like we can't take care of ourselves," he added somewhat bitterly, offended that he acted like the world would fall apart without him to clean it up. He left it at that, sinking back down against the sheets and turned back onto his side; it was almost as if he had never said anything.

"Well," Gladio shrugged, "You heard his Highness, and it sounded like an order to me," he offered a sly and knowing grin. "I'll be here, so it's not like you're leaving two incompetent youths behind to be left alone to the own devices." He caught the small moment of distrust flash across the other's face, "What? Don't think we can handle it without you breathing down our necks?"

"I didn't say anything," Ignis folded his own arms and took a deep breath, the pounding in his head never ebbing away, only pestering him and nagging him that perhaps this wasn't as bad of a suggestion as he originally thought it to be. His scrutiny flickered back over to the brochure, that one single word still staring back at him teasingly, "I'll think about it," he replied, still wanting to be stubborn and not accept the offer.

"Too stubborn for your own good most of the time, I hope you know that," the other grunted, clearly starting to become annoyed, "It's only for a day, and not even a whole day; it's not like I'm asking you to spend the night somewhere."

"Just go already," Noctis called from beneath his cover, turning over to his side to be facing away. "It'll be a lot quieter," he added, grumbling that part under his breath. Ignis scowled at that, not missing a word that had been spoken, but it was swiftly chased away and replaced with a much softer mask.

He hummed to himself, glancing back at the paper, his headache chiming in to throw in it's own opinion of the prospect, "Very well," he finally gave in, genuinely feeling as though the small indulgement could do him a bit of good, "But, I'm leaving my phone on, and if anything, and I mean anything, goes awry, I expect a call." Reluctantly, he got to his feet, picking the paper back up as he went, "And, I'll be checking in frequently, so keep your phones on as well."

"We got it, we got it," Gladio again waved a hand, ushering the man on, "Now go, go before it's too late." He trailed after the other man, all the way up to the door, almost as if to make sure he didn't change his mind and turn back, and if he were to do so, he'd be there to turn him right back around, "Alright, go enjoy yourself, we'll be fine, yada yada, and all that." The moment Ignis crossed the threshold, he shut the door, remaining next to it until he couldn't hear the fading footsteps any longer. With a sigh of relief, he turned back around, already finding the place surprisingly empty from the lack of hustling around and the lack of sounds and smells of breakfast being made.

* * *

  
Ignis came to a stop right outside the place, standing there for a moment in order to take it all in; and, in a sense, this felt so wrong to him. This was a place he didn't belong, he should be back at their hotel getting things ready, making sure everything was in order and everyone had their needed supplies and all weapons were in working order. So many what ifs ran through his head at the possibilities of what could happen during his absence. Not that he didn't trust them or anything, but he just felt more comfortable being there on the chance that he was needed. With his tugging conscience, he took one step back and turned half-way around to start heading back, but the buzz in his pocket demanded his attention at that moment.

Slowly, he removed the device from his jacket and glanced at the name, Gladio, of course it was. Without further hesitation, he read over the message, 'Also, if you even think about coming back, I'm dumping all your spices down the toilet.' With a scowl and a less than kind mumble, he stuffed his phone back and spun on his heel to take the last few steps back towards the pristine looking structure. Taking one last deep breath, he stepped through the front door and made a beeline for the front counter. He kept his head down as he went, nearing the emotion of shame just for being in such a place when there was so much left unattended to.

Stepping up, he glanced casually at the woman occupying it, "Excuse me, ma'am," he began, pushing up his glasses, awkwardness already setting in, "Sorry, I'm not quite accustomed to such...places, but I've seem to have been forced here against my will," he ground out, cutting his eyes over at the thought of Gladio, "I don't plan on being here long, so I suppose I'll just take whatever package is the quickest and cheapest." He crossed his arms as he waited for some sort of reply.

She said nothing at first as she tapped away at her keyboard, assumedly typing in the request, or at least that's what Ignis expected her to be doing. Though, he couldn't quite shake the feeling of her silence coming off as a bit rude and unprofessional. "Name?" she finally asked after some time, never tearing her eyes from her screen.

"Ignis Scientia," he stated flatly, foot now tapping as his nerves burned and head began to throb more fiercely. "And may I ask, how long this will be, and how much it's going to cost me?"

She held up one finger, telling him to either be quiet or to wait a moment before he got his answer. Either way, he could feel his eye twitch with annoyance at the level of allegiance, "It will be approximately five hours, give or take, at around one thousand gil an hour, so about five thousand." Ignis' mouth parted silently at the amount.

"Are you sure that's right?" he asked, the money he had on him suddenly weighing heavily in his pocket. "Any chance I could get something perhaps a bit more in my price range?"

She glanced at him for only a moment before going back to her typing, tapping a bit harshly at what seemed to be the backspace, "Sorry, but that's the cheapest package we have. Though, if you'd prefer something such as just a full body massage, or a couple hours in the sauna, then that will only be about five hundred gil." He still didn't feel particularly pleased with that amount, but it was still far better than the previous amount.

"Alright, I guess the first option it is then," he agreed, reaching into his pocket.

"No need for that," she quickly stopped him, "You don't pay until after it's done, and I'm not the one to take it. That will be handled by whoever takes care of you," She finished up her typing, and ripped off some sort of receipt once it was done printing. Handing it over to him, she explained, "This has your room number and time on it. Since you have at least a couple hours to kill, we have areas where you can wait, complete with entertainment and a bar. It's right that way," she pointed off somewhere to her left, "Right through those doors. And, if you happen to be more than five minutes late, then you'll have to reschedule."

He offered his thanks, despite his festering frustration, and slipped the receipt into his other pocket before heading in the pointed direction. Upon crossing through, he was nearly bombarded with the hustle and bustle normal bars were plagued with in the dead of night, only this one's busy hours contrasted greatly with the norm. Doing his best to slink through the crowd, he hovered and drifted to seat himself in the far corner, the only place that wasn't surrounded by others. Leaning back, he pulled his phone out to check the time. Nearly eleven, still about an hour and a half he'd have to wait.

About thirty minutes went by, a few moments of relative peace he was able to relish in until someone decided to sit at the same table. And, it took him a glance around the place to realize there wasn't many other options for the guy to seat himself. So, even though he was a bit peeved at having someone so close to him, he couldn't complain given the circumstances. Well, he didn't have much of an issue until they decided to try and make idle conversation. "You ever been here before?" the guy asked, leaning back in his own chair, hands going casually behind his head as he chewed the inside of his cheek.

"No, I haven't," he kept his reply short and simple, hoping the guy would take the hint and leave it at that, but of course, he could never be that lucky.

"It's my first time too, heard good things about this place, so I figured I'd give it a go, ya'know," he shrugged. "So, how long ya been waitin'?"

His head pulsed with both stress-induced stabs, and now with utter irritation as well, and he was certain he would have been better off just relaxing in the hotel at this rate. "Not long," he replied, again keeping his reply short and sweet. As he sat there, answering this guys tedious and unimportant wonderings, he frequently checked his phone, silently praying for someone to call or text to tell him that he needed to come back; anything to get out of this situation.

"Something on your mind?" the other asked, and as Ignis glanced back up, he was slightly taken off guard at the way he was now leaning uncomfortably forward.

With a sigh, he placed his phone down, and leaned an elbow on the table in order to place his head in his hand, "Not particularly, no." when the other said nothing, he became painfully aware that he was waiting for more of an answer this time; his vague and small answers were no longer going to cut it, it seemed. "Just can't shake a feeling is all. You see, I was sort of 'blackmailed' into coming here, completely against my will, I must add, and I can't help but busy my mind with the possible outcomes of my being here and not with my charge," he tore his eyes from the table where they landed to meet the other's gaze. They held a sense of confusion, so he tried to put it simply, "I'm supposed to be doing other things, and without me there to handle them, I can only imagine what's becoming of them."

The expression on his face seemed to be that of regret, realizing that he had just opened the floodgates and could practically feel the flooding rants incoming. Now, on the receiving end of continuous chatter, complaints, and insights, the man began sinking down in his chair, his eyes taking on a blank appearance as he internally checked out. Ignis, in the midst of his own rantings, was oblivious to the state of the other, the fact that he was no longer interested drowned out by his own ramblings. "I can't fathom what kind of trouble they could get into without someone there to keep them under control. I mean, they are all somewhat responsible adults, but not a single one seems to know the meaning of that word, I swear," he went on, focusing on the table as he spilled everything.

After an unidentified amount of time had passed of the man's suffering, he released a heavy breath when the adviser ceased his venting long enough to check his phone, almost one. Which meant it was nearly time for his 'treatment' and nearly time for him to finally be able to return to their room and be rid of this place. Standing up, he scooted his chair back into place, "Well, it was a pleasure, but I really must be going," he strolled by with a quick wave of his hand, the other never replying; he only sat there, hand placed firmly against his forehead as the beginnings of his own headache had started to formulate.

Ignis wandered down the nearest hall, assuming it to be the right direction, which it had to be if the signs were anything to go by. Then again, the whole layout of this place was anything but logical and he swore under his breath, so many 'modern' buildings just had this unspoken rule that they must be as awkward as possible when it comes to floor plans. He kept glancing down to his slip of paper, then up at the labeled doors that lined either side, scanning over each one carefully until his eyes discovered his designated room at last. "Alright," he mumbled, "I suppose this is it."

He lifted a tentative fist, and tapped the back of it lightly against the door and waited patiently for any sort of reply. Subtle but certain, he could pick up soft and well-placed footsteps on the other side, slowly approaching until the door was carefully pulled open; a woman somewhere in her late forties it seemed, peeking through the crack, "Name?" she asked, but not harshly, just plainly.

"Ignis Scientia," he answered, eyes darting back down to the paper to double check that he did indeed have the right room. And, apparently he did when she waved him inside and shut the door behind him before locking it.

She pulled a towel off one of the racks and handed it over, "Here you are, sir. Now, I'll step in the other room and give you a moment to get undressed, and when you're ready, just lie down on that table," she jabbed an index finger to the side, indicating said furniture, "And I'll be back in a few minutes to give you enough time," she left with a kind smile, leaving the man to do what he had to do in peace.

Now alone, Ignis glanced at the material with a less than pleased expression. All of this just felt so wrong to him, this was far out of his comfort zone, and there was no appreciation to be had for this place, nor what it entailed. But, he began to undress nonetheless, taking his sweet time as each removal of an article just made him feel more exposed and uncomfortable, to the point where he'd much prefer being back in the bar dealing with complete strangers. A few minutes later and he had his towel wrapped tightly and securely around his waist, a hand gripping it just to be on the safe side.

He managed to position himself across the table just a moment before she re-entered, and with his face angled how it was, he couldn't see a thing she was doing, and honestly he wasn't sure how he should feel about that. His experience was telling him that he should be in a position to witness everything, but his logic was squabbling with it to calm down and just go with it.

As she got started, the silence between them was almost painful, it was awkward and downright unsettling. He let out a small groan when she finally hit that sweet spot, and by that, she hit a nice little knot that had set up camp right at the base of his neck. "Just try to relax," she spoke softly as he fingers continued to work their way into the muscles, "Been a while since I've had anyone this tense," she lightly chuckled out, pressing down a bit harder now to compensate for the stiffness in his neck.

"It's to be expected when dealing with the ones I have to on a daily basis," he sighed, flinching as another prod jolted through him. "In fact, I'm willing to bet anything that the place is in utter shambles by now," he deadpanned, unintentionally tensing up with the simple thought of it. Ignis bit his lip when there was again a dull ache throbbing over the back of his shoulders.

There was a small hum as the woman absentmindedly acknowledged his words, "Relax," she repeated, deciding it was best to move on to another part of his body until he did as she asked.

"I didn't even cook before I left," he slowly realized, "Which means they'll probably try to do it themselves, and none of them exactly know their way around the kitchen. Not to mention the possibility of them damaging some of my equipment," he groaned again, this time out of dread from his own imagination. "And my charge," he restrained from calling him by name, "He can be so rash, I can only guess what kind of trouble he could get into if not kept a watchful eye on."

"Sounds like quite the handful," she humored him with a response, at least attempting to sound interested in his concerns.

"You have no idea," he finally allowed his body to somewhat melt against the table now, getting these small and minor complaints off his chest doing some sort of wonders for him, "And Gladio, that man has quite the temper, so quick to start things, and without me being the voice of reason, it's only a matter of time before he rips someone's head off. And I do mean that quite literally. Then there is Prompto, and I have to say, it's a miracle that one even keeps himself alive; so inexperienced and rash." Ignis' eyes slowly began to droop, the admission of just how worked up he was combined with those magical fingers that drained a good bit of the tightness from his body beginning to wear him down.

His eyes snapped open with a gentle, yet jarring, pat on his back, "Alright, we're finished up here. I'll give you time to change back and I'll be back shortly for your payment," she offered a small nod and disappeared back into the other room, again leaving him on his own. Slowly, he peeled himself from the table, expecting there to be a few aches, but was genuinely surprised to find that he was actually fairly comfortable with the movement. Ignis sat upright, staying there for a moment to turn his head side to side, testing the muscles and joints. And, a satisfied sigh leaked out from between partially parted lips.

He hated to admit it, but he genuinely did feel like a completely new person, even if it was just a short intermission from his normal, yet hectic, daily routine. Scooping up his belongings, he quickly covered himself back up, the relief it brought overwhelmingly gratifying. He reached into his pocket to sort through the money, wanting to have the payment at the ready in order to not waste anymore time and get out of here and back to the others.

And, as soon as she passed back through, he had his hand outstretched with the gil, handing it over before she even had the chance to ask, "Thank you for your time," he stated flatly, turning on his heel and headed towards the door, "And, thanks, for the listening, as well," he quickly added before passing through.

* * *

  
The walk back to their room was, in his opinion, quite the restful one, with the lack of throbs and aches he was so accustomed to, the act of walking wasn't that of pain and annoyance. His hand drifted towards the handle of the door, a slight moment of hesitation passing over him as his fingers made the contact with the metal. He slowly pushed it open, and already, he could hear the commotions from within. That alone told him the mess he was about to walk straight into, but in a sense, he found himself looking forward to it as a warm and welcomed smile tugged at his lips. Turning the handle, he pushed the door open, and strolled right into the fray, ready to tackle whatever task it was that was required of him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Queue as of now:
> 
> aoyuna  
TheGizzYall  
TheBigbyWolf  
mutini  
Silverheartlugia2000  
itsscrow  
cinqluna  
'Anonymous'  
'Anonymous2'  
Prompto_Cam  
'Anonymous3'  
Mirai Lianna  
Touched  
Musiclife1988  
Shiary  
ScribeOfRhapsody  
ellaygee  
Hollypopstop  
Kloudia1  
laurelilith  
Kestrealbird  
Snow  
mabver321


	7. To Your Aid

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Noctis is in danger, it's up to Prompto to come to his aid with the others' hands already full with their own enemies.  
Prompto-centric

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta read by: SinikkavonWolperting  
Request for: aoyuna

Prompto's right hand wandered from the leather of the reins to stroke over golden feathers, the fluff of them sent tingles through his fingers. Even as the breeze washed most scents away, the aroma of chocobo still lingered around them like a thick cloud, but like a nice thick cloud: cozy and secure. "Doin' great, little buddy," he laughed as together, they once again sprinted past Noctis; he threw a glance over his shoulder as he went by, "Come on, go any slower and you'll be heading backwards," he egged on.

"Keep your attention forward before you hurt yourself," Gladio warned with a touch of playfulness.

"Dude, learn to let loose a bit will ya?" the blond countered, slowing down to a leisurely trot next to the shield, "Besides, this little guy knows what he's doing," he reminded with a soft pat on the bird's head, "A lot less clumsy than I am after all."

"Smell better too," Noctis shrugged from a few feet ahead. With his focus on the path before him, he missed the unamused scowl that was shot in his direction. Continuing forth, a slight and distant hum vibrated on the edge of his senses, almost teasingly. To begin with, it didn't seem like much of a concern, but as it grew louder and became obvious as to just what he was hearing, he slowed to a stop and was quick to scan the skies above them. "You have to be kidding me," he muttered, tone practically composed of nothing but tiresome annoyance. "Can't they just give us a break for one damn minute?"

"That wouldn't be much of their style, now would it?" Ignis spoke up rhetorically, already in the process of dismounting and preparing for the fight he knew was about to ensue. If there was anything he learned, it's that the empire was persistent and there was no use in resisting a battle with their inhuman lackeys. "Always the type to keep us on our toes, as they say," he muttered as he gave his own chocobo a thankful brush on the side of its beak. "You have served me well thus far," he said softly, sending the creature away to a safe distance.

Their gunslinger was the next to hop of the back of his mount, "Don't need to be so formal with them, not like they can really understand ya?" he shrugged and turned to wrap his arms around its neck in a gentle hug, "They more so understand feelings and such; just show them some affection and kindness, and bingo!" he cheerfully uttered, pressing his face against the chocobo's.

"Get a room," the brute was the third to lower himself to the ground, followed closely by Noctis before the remaining three birds were sent to join the fourth, "So what, take them out the way we usually do, or ya plan on going about this some fancy way?" he asked, summoning his behemoth of a blade to rest across his shoulders, fingers tightened around it and itching to get started.

"Depends on what his Highness wants to do," he replied, though his tone revealed he'd rather not do anything too reckless if it could be avoided; but, knowing Noctis, there wasn't much of a choice against the matter. His style being that of a wild animal, running in to wreak havoc and run back out. The man let out a sigh as he recalled the countless times his way had almost caused things to quickly go south. "These seem to be the usual pawn they normally dish out, so I don't have much to say on the way we finish them off." He kept a prying and vigilant eye on the dropship while it hummed above them, back of it slowly opening to show off the mini army of lifeless troops that awaited them.

Ignis glanced quickly back over to the prince, his eye twitched irritatingly at the sight of him already walking towards the raining machines, "Are you really surprised?" Gladio patted him lightly on the back as he took after Noctis. "Don't get too carried away now," he smiled, sparing now glances at the other.

"Like you're one to talk," the younger countered, outstretching an arm to catch his engine blade when it materialized just above his palm; the weight of it landed comfortable and familiar in his grip. "Just try not to get in my way," he almost growled, charging forward.

"I think that should be my line," Gladio followed his reckless behavior, sprinting off after the raven-haired, only to break off and head slightly to the left once the were a few feet from the puffing clouds of dust that was stirred beneath those metal feet.

Ignis let out another irritated breath, "Prompto, you know the drill," he threw a quick look over his shoulder to make sure he was listening as his daggers filled his hands; and, just as quickly as the other two had, charged forward to join the hectic mingle of clashes and sparks.

"Yup," Prompto muttered, mostly to himself seeing as there was no longer anyone close enough to hear him, "Stay back, provide back-up, and stay out of the way," his voice was low and punctual as if it was something he had repeated to himself numerous times. A constant unspoken rule he always seemed to follow: Let the experienced ones do most of the dangerous work and do what you can from a safe distance. The blond squeezed his hand gently around the weapon in his hand and lifted it to point at one of the enemies, choosing one that was at least a few feet from the nearest comrade, and pulled the trigger; a small noise of satisfaction escaped him when the MT faltered, but not fall. Still, it was enough to throw it off momentarily.

He lowered his gun in order to get a better picture of the scene before him overall; watching as a few more of the soldiers dropped from above to land in the middle of the current swarm, but there was something else up there, something that he doesn't remember being part of the norm for these attacks. From where he was standing, it looked totally different from the rest of them, towering over the bunch that still had themselves positioned in front of it as they too prepared to drop down. "Guys!" he called out to them, hands cupped around his mouth, but nothing, they couldn't hear him over the deafening commotion around them.

For a moment, he stood there, debating if he should rush over to inform the others or not, none of them seemed to be aware of the potential risk literally hanging over their heads. Biting the inside of his cheek, he made his decision, and with all that pent up energy, he ran after the others, dodging and ducking under incoming ax swings until he finally reached one of the three, which happened to be Gladio. "Gladdy," he breathlessly gasped, tapping him on the upper arm as he jolted to a sudden stop, "Hey, there's, uh, there's something up there," he glanced up and pointed towards the sky.

"Yeah, can't help but notice, Prom," he growled as he cleaved clean through the neck of another enemy, sparks emitting from the artificial wound as it sprinkled the two of them with minor stings.

His face deadpanned for only a split second before he snapped back at the sarcastic remark, "That's not what I mean! There's something else up there, still in the ship; I don't know what it is, but it doesn't look pretty. In more than one way." Choosing to acknowledge the warning, the brute turned his attention upward, frustration taking over after realizing there wasn't a thing he could see from this angle, so he would have to take the gunner's word for it this time.

"You should go let the other two know, where ever they got themselves occupied at," he glanced around, internally slapping himself for having lost sight of them both.

With a nod, Prompto spun on the spot, evading another strike at his head almost a moment too late while he shot at the joints, causing the humanoid to drop its blade. Now that it was effectively disarmed, he released a few more bullets into its head and chest, once and for all silencing it. Blood thrumming in his veins, he blew out a relieved and tense breath of air, and with still tingling nerves, continued his adrenaline fueled search. It's not that there was a lot of looking to do, but with all the movements and sounds, it came off a bit daunting and disorienting. "Noct! Iggy!" he called out, hoping they could hear him over the cacophony of scrapes and clatters, "Guys, where are ya?"

"Prompto? What in the Six are you doing out here?" Ignis questioned; the blond turned his head toward the voice, spotting the owner off to his left, "You're supposed to be hanging back and supporting us." He didn't sound angry or annoyed, but maybe there was a hint of confusion mixed in there.

Now slightly out of breath, Prompto jogged over to stand before him, "I-I know, Iggy, there's something else up there, and it's huge and I have no idea what it is," he blurted it all out without pause, the words basically tumbling out the moment his mouth was open and he was within arms reach. "Wh-where's Noct, he needs to know it's not saf-" he cut himself off, the shadow growing over them serving to snatch the focus of them both.

"Is that what you were worried about?" the adviser rhetorically asked, grabbing the younger by the arm and almost dragged him in his flee to get out of harms way. He didn't loosen his grasp until they were at the edge of the fresh upheaval of dust and dirt, the particles flaring up and obscuring their view for the span of almost a minute; long enough for their hearts to pick up pace in apprehension for the well-being of the other two.

Prompto let out a shaky breath, "Wha...what the hell is that thing?" he stared at it with wide and unmoving eyes; the ability to look away stolen from him the moment that thing hit the ground and crushed nearly all of its allies; the disgusting remains still twitched and craned from beneath it. "It's massive," his shooting hand hung loosely at his side slackly in his surprise, "Wh-where are they?" he shook his head, remembering why he had been so concerned in the first place.

"Stay calm," Ignis finally spoke up, "They wouldn't be so inattentive as to get caught up by something as rambunctious and clumsy as something of the caliber." He gently pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose, "Don't forget, Noctis has the luxury of warping, and Gladio, despite how he may portray himself, is quite capable of staying in tune with his surroundings." He cast a quick glance in Prompto's direction, his fingers were now wrapped back securely around his pistol, his cool washing back over him with that small bit of reassurance.

He nodded, "Yeah, I know, you're right. No way they would let something like this get the better of them...no matter how giant it may be," he swallowed nervously, the machine just now straightening out to its full height; and until then, neither of them had a very clear idea as to how threatening the thing appeared. "I think we should probably step in now," he lifted himself from his crouched position and took one step towards the robot, but Ignis swiftly held a hand to block him.

"Stay here and keep your distance, shoot only when you have clear shots. Understand?" he twirled one of his daggers in his hand, strolling forwards at a graceful pace without waiting for a confirmation or reply of any kind.

The younger waved a dismissive hand, "Yeah, of course, loud and clear," he sighed, shifting his weight onto one foot, "Don't worry," he whispered to himself, walking back and forth on the spot, "I'll stay here like an obedient underling," he glanced over at Ignis' departing back and pursed his lips at the lack of a reaction. Giving up, he shrugged and with newfound purpose, raised his aim to point at the giant, switching his eye from one section to another as he searched for any spot that appeared vulnerable enough for his bullets to penetrate.

From where he was, he could make out the downward swing from one of the things clamps, and on the second attempt, he became aware of what it was doing; it was trying desperately to grab someone, but so far they seemed to be evading with relative ease, only dirt and rocks were getting disturbed. Squinting, he looked more closely, that blur of twilight hair sticking out like a sore thumb. "Noct," he gasped out as it had finally caught its prey. He placed his other hand over his occupied one, trying to steady his shot as his nerves were now flaring up at having someone he cared for put in immediate danger like that.

He grit his teeth and lowered his weapon in annoyance; he was too far away to have a clear shot of anything important. And, for the second time that day, he completely disregarded the strategist's words of advice and wisdom and began sprinting closer, but he was still cautious of space between him and the enemy and stayed outside of its radius. He glanced at Gladio and Ignis, both of them too busy with the remaining MTs to make it to the prince's aid in time, which left him to fill in. "Ok," he muttered to himself, "Nothing I haven't done before, I got this." Even from where he was, he heard the strangled cry of his friend, and he realized with horror that the grasp on him must have been tightened, probably to resist the struggle he knew Noctis to be having.

The sound managed to alert the others to the predicament, both sparing a glance in his direction and mirroring the same expression Prompto now wore. "Shit," he spat out between his teeth, desperation swelling in his chest as he chanced working his way closer. He knew that he didn't have time to make any mistakes, so the only way to narrow that opportunity for that was to risk it and lower the range he had to cover. The closer he got, the more he could feel trembles running down his arm; the size of this thing really beginning to be more appreciated. "Alright, no big deal, it's just a machine like the others...only bigger."

At first, his gaze kept flickering over to Noctis, a million thoughts buzzing through his crowded mind as he fought for concentration; he yelled at himself to calm down, to get it together, now was not the time to be freaking out. Just as he had done earlier, he focused his pistol on the joint connecting the upper and lower section of the thing's arm, well, it's elbow technically; if it could be called that. Taking in a deep breath to further steady his hands, he let loose a few consecutive shots, only releasing it once he was certain all three had hit their mark. The creaks and clangs gave way as the bottom half started falling away...but there was still a slight problem; the grip wasn't loosening any. Prompto threw a frantically concerned glance at the others, hoping they weren't quite as busy any more. Which, thankfully they weren't, but they were still a good bit away.

"Dammit, I'm comin' Noct," he shouted, knowing full well the prince couldn't hear him, but still, it gave him a degree of reassurance nonetheless. The arm now hung uselessly at the thing's side, claw grasped in a death grip around his friend, the pain etched into his features became more clear as he closed the gap between them.

"Prompto!" the blond shot his attention in the other's direction, Ignis finishing off one of his own opponents, "What are you doing?" he questioned, watching as the gunner never slowed down. He could only pick up on a few of the words, but the tone and body language told him plenty, and there was no doubt in his mind that he'd be getting a lecture from at least one of them when this was all over; but that was alright, he'd live with that, he knew they would understand. In the long run, anyway.

After what seemed like extended ages, he was at last close enough to make out almost every detail about both Noctis as well as the enemy; and to his dismay, the former was no longer struggling, no longer putting up a fight. He realized with gut-wrenching ferocity, that he must have passed out at some point, the possibilities of the cause of it forced their way to the front of his mind, and he prayed it didn't have anything to do with anything getting crushed. Shaking his head to clear away those speculations, he narrowed his gaze until his eyes sought out what it was he needed. "Bingo," the corner of his mouth curved upwards, and without hesitation, he unleashed another barrage of bullets, all of them connecting with the pivots connecting the clamp to the 'wrist'.

Though, his face quickly faltered when Noctis was shifted due to the slackness in the grip now, and it was only a matter of time before that hold was released altogether. And, because of this fact, his moment of victory was quickly extinguished as his feet were once again carrying him closer, all precautions obliterated with his helpful obligations. Of course, he failed to think things through completely before acting; then again, there wasn't time to process his other choices if there even were any. How the hell was he supposed to catch him? That pondering was ripped away when the contraption hovering just over him now creaked ominously; the prince falling from the clutches of metal as he descended quickly towards him. Closing his eyes in a reflexive flinch, he held his arms out, he may not be able to catch him, but the least he could do was help break his fall.

He stood there, listening to the metallic sounds around him, waiting for the moment that he was going to get struck roughly to the ground, but it never came. As he was about to peek an eye open to investigate what was taking so long, he felt an arm wrap tightly around his waist, yanking him backwards, "Are you trying to get yourself killed?" came the growling and grunting voice of Gladio.

"Wh-where's Noct?" he ignored the man's insinuated rebuke and glanced around as he feebly pushed against the shield's chest to free himself.

"Calm down, would'ya?" he re-adjusted his hold when he felt the lean body slip slightly, "He's right here," his head cocked to the side, directing the blond's attention to his right shoulder. And, sure enough, there he was, draped ungracefully over the brute's form, still unconscious.

He breathed out in relief, letting his tense muscles relax slightly, "Is he alright?" he looked worriedly to the small trail of blood trailing teasingly down the side of his face.

Gladio slowed to a stop after running at a full sprint to efficiently get all three of them out of harms way; the softer, yet equally swift steps behind him indicating that Ignis was right with him. "He'll be fine," the adviser spoke, already looking over the young man the moment he had caught up, "He only struck his head, so he should wake up shortly." The brunet pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and began dabbing at the minor head wound, "Either of you happen to have any potions on you?"

"Y-yeah, right," once Gladio placed the gunner on his feet, the latter began rummaging in his pockets, "Here." He placed the vial in Ignis' hand, his fingers were still shaking slightly from the loitering adrenaline. Prompto watched as the potion was worked into the prince's hand and crushed with assistance; the warm radiance of the hue glowed around him and the open wound slowly stitched itself back together. Despite Ignis having told him the injury was that of minimal severity, he still couldn't slow his racing heart; he supposed he got like that whenever he saw blood of a comrade like that, no matter the quantity of it.

"Prompto," the strategist's tone was a lot more serious now as he turned his attention over, "About you charging in like that, even though you know you was incredibly danger-"

"I know," he blurted, unintentionally interrupting the man, "I-I wasn't thinking, and it was stupid, but I had to do something..." he tripped over his words as heat rose to his face in shame and embarrassment, but he didn't regret what he did.

The other held up a hand to quiet him, "I wasn't finished," he stated simply and softly, "Yes, it was dangerous, but I suppose you can't be blamed for it; any one of us would have, should have, done the same," his eyes fell back onto Noctis as Gladio gently placed him on the ground, waiting for the moment he'd show signs of waking up. "I just wanted to say, well done," he looked back in time to see the satisfied grin spread across his face, "However, do be more careful in the future. Should Noctis have landed on you from that height, I'm almost certain you wouldn't have come out of that without injuries of your own."

"Uhhhhh, yeah," he shifted his eyes uncomfortably, the consequences of that not having really been considered until now. But, to him, if it meant saving any one of them, especially the first person he could really call a friend, then it would have been worth it.

A small and disoriented groan pulled them all in to gaze down at the prince, a hand wondering to the spot where the wound used to be, but fingers on brushed over still-slick blood, "Son of a..." he complained, going to sit up, but a strong hand on his chest effectively prevented him.

"Noct, not so fast, I want to make sure everything is alright before you move anywhere," Ignis spoke as the voice of reason, tossing a glance back where the battle took place to make sure they weren't being followed; and to his relief, that giant was still over there, stomping uselessly. At least its AI wasn't the best. "Are you feeling alright?"

He took a moment to consider his response, "I think so?" he sounded unsure, his head still a bit hazy, "What the hell happened anyway?" last he remembered was being overwhelmed then grabbed out of nowhere. He could have sworn that he still felt the cold and merciless metal pressing against his chest and back.

"Well, I think you should be thanking him for you being alive and all," Gladio nodded towards the blond, and Noctis followed the gesture, a look of surprise replacing his scrunched up and confused one.

"Prom?" he asked, "How'da manage that one?"

"Ya'know, kinda just went for it. A few shots in the right places can break anything," he rubbed that back of his head nervously, the genuinely impressed expression on his friend's face causing timidness to rise up, "But, it was nothin'" he waved a hand.

The other hummed disbelievingly, "Yeah, sure it was," he disobeyed the adviser's suggestion, and pushed himself to sit up anyway, gazing off towards the still-wondering machine, "Well, thanks for 'nothing' then, he shrugged with a light smile on his face.

Prompro shared the same smile and nodded back, "Anytime dude, can't sit back and watch my best friend, and the prince of Lucian get done it by something like that, can I?" he jabbed a finger behind him. He helped the other to his feet, much to Ignis' disapproval, and together they made their way towards their rides, the other two having no choice but to follow; guess there was no helping it, both were just as stubborn and reckless as the other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If anyone has requests as well, feel free to leave a comment or PM me with what you want, or message on Tumblr (I go by the same name on there). I just ask that it's nothing x rated, but romance is still alright, and just know that I'm best with hurt/comfort, but it doesn't have to be that, can be just about anything. Also keep in mind that these are things I'll be doing in between chapters/stories of my own works, so they may take time, but I'll try my best to get to them eventually.
> 
> Queue as of now:
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> TheGizzYall  
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	8. Friend of My Son

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Noctis is late coming home once again, Regis pries to find out that his son made a friend (surprisingly) and wants to meet him for himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta read by: SinikkavonWolperting
> 
> Request for: TheGizzYall
> 
> For this one, I did set it after the story for when Ignis and Prompto met just for a cute little extra moment, hope that's alright. C:  
See, I didn't forget about the requests. XD And I apologize again for the time it takes, but as I said, I'll get to them all eventually. ;w;

His feet were practically dragged in his less than enthusiastic journey back home, the dread of what he knew was about to come bearing down irritatingly and naggingly on his mind. Noctis huffed out a frustrated sigh as he glanced at the sky, dulled and drained with the departing sun. The closer his feet carried him to his destination, the more he anticipated the lecture he was about to receive...well, both lectures actually. One from his father, which was expected, but he was almost certain Ignis would have something to say as well; the man acting like that of a second father sometimes, much to his chagrin.

Delaying the inevitable, he paused to pull out his phone to check the time, almost half past eight. The message icon flicked, badgering him to check it, but he went against its pleading and stuffed it in his pocket. And, for a solid few seconds, he debated not going back at all at this point. He was sure Prompto wouldn't have minded letting him crash at his place; not like his parents were there to object to the idea. The thought of that stung bitterly, but it was the truth. Shaking his head, he decided that would only make things worse for the both of them, smarter to just hurry and get this all over with.

Noctis hesitated just outside, deep down hoping that if he stood there long enough everyone would just forget how late he was, as ridiculous and illogical as that sounded. Stretching his neck to either side, he eased the door open and slid in, careful not to make much noise and alerting others of his delayed return. Glancing around, his eyes picked up on no one; but, considering the time, most of the residents were most likely preoccupied with other tasks and errands, not that he was complaining.

The halls were dimmed, the majority of the lights off for the night, and the few that he caught a glimpse of were those lighting up a few rooms. Inching by, he peered in one by one as he sneaked by, tiptoeing to the point where he was barely making any progress. It'd be morning by the time he made it to his own room, he realized. Now fully aware of this, he stood up straight, and with newfound determination and confidence, he strolled at a brisk pace down the hall, but remained mindful of the amount of noise he was producing with the action. As he moved, he threw investigative glances behind him, even as he rounded the corner.

Upon taking the turn, he was met with a dismayed and unwelcomed collision; the person on the other end of it holding their position well against the bump. "Noct," he was greeted with the stern shortened version of his name, giving away exactly who the owner of the voice was, "And might I ask where exactly you've been?" his adviser questioned, crossing his arms and staring down at the prince.

"Does it matter, I'm back aren't I?" he scoffed in return, going to shove by the man, but a heavy hand landing on his shoulder cemented him to the spot. "What?" he questioned annoyedly, spinning back around to face him.

"Your father was asking for you, so it's probably best to go speak with him before heading to bed for the night," he narrowed his eyes, indicating this was more of a demand from the king himself more so than a suggestion from Ignis.

Noctis couldn't refrain his eye roll nor his exasperated sigh, "Yeah, of course," he feigned casual obedience and turned back on his heel, heading back down the hall. Now, with a new unwarranted objective in mind, his pace slowed drastically, trepidation again working as weighed shackles around his ankles. Why couldn't this have just waited until morning, was that really too much to ask?

But, of course it was. Running a hand through already tousled hair, he made a turn he would have much rather avoided and aimlessly roamed towards the place he knew his father to be waiting for him; each step feeling like a death sentence taking him further towards his execution. Being late once wouldn't have been that huge of a deal, but when it was nearly every night for the last month, he could understand the upset it caused. Not his fault Prompto was a slow learner when it came to history though. Reluctantly, he raised a fist and tapped it softly against the door, anxiety keeping the force at bay. With the displeased welcome on the other side, he hesitated only a fraction of a second before entering, arms folded in a measly attempt at covering his discomfort.

"Ah, my son, it appears you've decided to return home after all," King Regis leaned forward, right elbow resting on his desk while his head was propped up on his hand, "Might I ask what took you so long, and why no one was filled in on why you took so long."

Noctis chewed the inside of his cheek, "I was helping a friend with some school stuff, is it really that big of a deal?" he shrugged, cocking his head to the side as he shifted his weight over to one leg.

Regis narrowed his eyes, "Friend, huh?" he watched his son quizzically, "One I haven't heard of?" he placed his hands on the desk in order to lift himself up, his right instantly reaching for his cane to lean on. As he hobbled closer to the prince, he kept his attention directed to the floor beneath his feet, "Care to tell me about said person?" He came to a stop in front of one of the two chairs facing his desk, gesturing with his free hand to the other. "Perhaps a name or something along those lines."

Noctis jolted slightly at the unexpected interest, "Uh, what?" he asked, eyes darting from the free chair to his dad, "Um, alright." Carefully, he stepped over and cautiously lowered himself into the seat, "Well, his name is Prompto, I guess is a way to start," he shrugged. "I don't think there's much to say about it, people have friends, that's what normal teens do, after all," he sighed and went to get back up. "Look, I'm tired, so I'm heading to bed."

His hand was on the handle when a "Wait" caught his ear, "It's not everyday that you actually make a friend, no offense," he held up his hands in playful surrender at the look he was set with from that statement, "so I can't help but wonder what sort of person this Prompto kid is." Noctis bit his lip when he figured out where this was going, "Why don't you bring him by tomorrow, I'd like to get to know him."

"Yeah, sure," he brushed of nonchalantly, but deep down his nerves and mind was screaming. This was bound to be uncomfortable for both him and the blond. Hell, he had a hard enough time approaching Noctis being the same age as him, he couldn't imagine how it was gonna be for him to meet the king of all people. The very plausible thought of him having a panic attack at the idea plagued his imagination, and he prayed the encounter wouldn't cause his ultimate demise.

* * *

  
The bell finally rang, after figurative years of him almost nodding off; his elbow slipping along his desk as his head weighed more and more heavily against it. Noctis blinked a few times, chasing away his creeping sleep, and scooped up his belongings with his right arm, "Thought it was never gonna end," he muttering complained, stretching his neck from one side to the other.

"Come on, it wasn't that bad," Prompto clapped him on the back, nearly causing him to stumble with the unexpected force of it and basically materialized next to him.

"Says you, you actually like math, ya freak," he jokingly elbowed him in the side with a sideways smile. "But, you suck at history, so I guess you have to make up for it somewhere." He glanced over to meet the blonds considering expression before he ultimately shrugged, accepting it to be true.

"Yeah, I guess that makes sense, can't be good at everything, I suppose." He turned to gather his own things, bunching them up clumsily in his hands; papers stuck out from between books, threatening to escape at any given moment, "Alright, all good to go," he straightened them out minimally and headed towards the exit. "So, I'm thinkin' today we focus on..uh, you know, the thing with the thing, where people died..." Prompto trailed off, realizing he had no idea what it was he was even trying to say.

"That tells me a lot," Noctis chuckled, stepping out after the other, "You know that sums up about everything that has ever happened, right?" There was an exaggerated groan in response along with a head roll, "You're more screwed in that class than I thought," the prince sighed, shaking his own head.

"Guess we'll just have to go over all the material then," Prompto hummed, skipping ahead, "From the veeeeery beginning."

"Or I can chalk it up as a lost cause."

"You wouldn't dare," the blond halted and spun on the spot, "You know I can't afford to fail this class dude, I'm already on the border of barely passing and utterly failing." His voice was raised an octave or so as a result of his waning education, "And I really don't feel like hangin' around here longer than I have to," his head hung back in an overly dramatic way.

Noctis caught up to him and dropped a hand on his shoulder, "Dude, calm down, I was only kidding." Without thinking, he instinctively took the lead, setting their pace to a casual stroll as he unintentionally wasted time in their walk.

As they walked out the front of the building, he rotated to start walking left, stopping when he no longer heard the accompanying footsteps behind him, "Prom, you coming or not?" he glanced back to see him looking in either direction.

"Uh, Noct, my place is this way," he pointed down the opposite path, clearly confused at the others choice of route. "This is the fastest way, or did you somehow forget since yesterday?"

His eyes skitted around, his free hand going to rub the back of his neck nervously, "Funny story about that," he started, turning back forward to face away, "Well, there's kinda been a change of plan, and we're going somewhere else today."

"Somewhere else?" Prompto narrowed his eyes suspiciously, reluctantly joining his friend a few feet away, "Is this some ploy to lure me out so you can murder me? Because this sounds like a horror waiting to happen, and I am totally not ok with that."

Noctis didn't bother humoring him with a reply, "Guess my dad got sick of me always getting back late, so he was bound to start asking questions sooner or later," he shrugged as if it wasn't a huge deal.

"So...I'm going to...your place? As in, where the king lives, tooooo meet him?" he asked, wanting specifics, earning a clarifying nod from the other, "You know what, on second thought, I think I'm starting to get the hang of this whole history thing, so I'll be seeing you tomorr-" he turned back towards his place, already placing one foot when a strong grasp on the back of his jacket jolted him back, "Noct, no, no way, I can't do that." He visibly paled with the mere idea of meeting him, "I'll make an idiot of myself...more of an idiot; dude, he's gonna hate me, I just know it, and I'm not ready for that kind of commitment. I mean, I'm sure there's plenty of opportunity to meet him, right? Why does it have to be toda-"

"Prom," the prince cut him off, "Calm down, it's really not that bad." He tried to reassure the obviously near panicking blond, "It's really not hard to get on his good side, just do you, and you'll be fine, alright?"

He didn't seem to buy it, but his expression still softened nonetheless, "Eh, do I really have to?" He half whined, gripping his possessions tighter against his chest, fearing that his heart was gonna burst out at any second. A quick internal struggle later and he went to Noct's side, "Fine, I'll go, but I want roses at my funeral, nothing less and nothing more."

"Quit acting like a princess, you'll live," Noctis cocked his head as he began walking again, "Come on, we already delayed enough, any more and I'll have even more to hear tonight." He picked up the speed, setting it at a relatively normal pace, albeit a little less enthusiastic; that whole, 'you'll be fine' speech was more for Prompto's sake than his own, his nerves were still working up a storm under his skin.

The rest of the trip was carried out in mostly silence, neither really feeling like breaking the somewhat comfortable quiet that settled between them; in a way it served as a nice breathing moment to mentally prepare for what was about to come. At last, they stood before the entrance; Noctis listened to the anxious fidgeting next to him as Prompto shifted from foot to foot, making small nervous and unsure noises, "Try not to wet yourself over there," he joked, slipping in first.

"Ha, funny," he attempted at a bit of lightheartedness, but choked slightly on the last word, blushing lightly in embarrassment, "Ok, Prompto, you got this, he's just a human...an important human with power and the potential to kill many if pushed over the edge," he mumbled to himself, too low for the other to hear. And, hesitantly, he followed, stopping for only a moment to take it all in; the high ceilings, the elaborate molding and graceful decorations. It was all too much to process at once. "Whoa," he breathlessly whispered, still scanning the walls around him while he caught up to Noctis, "This place is...something."

"I guess," he again tried to play it down, keeping things as casual as one could when he lived in the citadel, "I suppose it's a lot less impressive when you're here nearly every day." He flinched slightly when he realized how arrogant that probably sounded, "What I mean is, it's not really all that special, just appearances."

"Still, mighty fancy," Prompto pursed his lips.

Noctis started leading him down another hall, towards that same office, assuming him to be there again, or at least hoping that to be the case. "Welcome back, Your Highness," he looked down an intersecting hallway, giving a small wave of greeting to his adviser as he slowly strolled in their direction, "More than thrilled to see you actually here at a reasonable time." He glanced in Prompto's vicinity, a flash of recognition, "Argentum," he nodded, a light smile gracing his features.

"Oh, uh, hey, Ignis," the blond almost stumbled over his words and gave his own little wave.

The brunet faced back towards the prince, "He's in his office again if that's who you're looking for," he pushed his glasses up and made to walk by the two of them, "He seemed to be in an odd mood today, but I suspect I understand the reason for that now," he offered them one last departing nod and continued with whatever task it was he was carrying out.

Noctis cut his eyes over to his friend, "What was that?"

"What was what?" he replied, bewilderment teasing his expression, eyes flicking back to Ignis.

"That," Noctis threw a thumb to the man's parting back, "You two know each other or something?"

Prompto perked up a bit, "Well, not exactly, but I guess...we kinda met before," he met those twilight eyes for a second, feeling suddenly bashful about it for apparently no reason, "It's when I went by the apartment a little while back and you weren't there. I thought I told you about that."

"I don't remember you saying anything, but if you're able to get on his good side, then I'd say you're pretty much already accepted by everyone else," he brushed it off, genuinely a tad impressed and equally shocked about the two of them having somehow crossed paths long enough to actually become acquainted to some degree. "Trust me, my father is much easier to get on with...sometimes. It depends."

Prompto let out a small sigh of relief, feeling a smidgen less nervous about all this; well, he didn't feel like fainting anymore, so that was at least a plus. "I hope you're right about that," he held his items closer to his body, finding minute comfort in the ability to hold something, anything to give his hands something to do other than fidget or hang at his sides uselessly. He just wanted to get this all over with, get in, have whatever talk he wanted to have, and them go home so he could hide from the world for a few days.

"All right, this is it," Noctis breathed out, standing before the door, hand reaching out for the handle; his fingers glanced over the metal and slowly wrapped around before pressing it down. He didn't bother knocking this time, seeing as he was already expecting them, he didn't really think it mattered too much. Pushing the door open, he stepped in first and waved his hand for the other to follow.

Swallowing the lump in his throat that promised to leap out, the blond took a few shaky steps into the office, stopping to stand and gawk anxiously in the doorway; his legs practically locking him in place, "Come on in, have a seat," Regis lifted his gaze from his papers and gestured to the chairs, "I only want to have a simple conversation."

"Right, yeah, of course...sir," he bowed quickly and stiffly, hastily sitting himself in the left chair and dropped his things in his lap in order to fold his hands on top of them. He glanced to the right, thankful that Noctis was staying right next to him and that it wasn't just gonna be the two of them left alone. If that were the case, he was certain he wouldn't be making it out of this alive.

The king did a once over, looking the kid up and down and noticed the clear tense posture infesting his form, "You can relax, I assure you I'm not going to exile you or anything," he gave a small and sly smile, "Now, I do want to ask though, what is it that made you want to befriend my son? And, I do want honest answers, no need to pander you reply due to what you think I want to hear." He leaned forward against his desk, giving the blond his full and undivided attention, and to be honest, he would have much preferred if the man were to continue with his paperwork.

"Uhh, well, it's a funny story," he blurted out, words strung together without pause. Ignis had asked the same, but that time it had come to him so much easier, not that it was easy then, but then he was able to produce actual sentences if nothing else, "Maybe it was just that he seemed...normal?" he winced at his word choice, "Not saying he's average or anything, but more or less approachable."

Regis chuckled lightly at that, and the blond flinched, not warranting such a reaction to his mindless blundering, "You don't say, Noctis? Are you sure this is the same one? Last I remember, he could barely be approached by Ignis without being convinced to do so."

"Alright, this is about him, not me," Noctis bitingly reminded, cheeks tinting ever so slightly at that remembrance, "And I was what, ten? You couldn't expect to me immediately like everyone I came into contact with," he turned his head to avoid the prodding and amused gazes.

"Never thought you to be the type to need 'convincing," Prompto laughed, poking a playful finger against his face, only to have it swatted away with a sharp, 'stop that'. "It's almost as if you're an everyday teenager," he lifted his finger to badger him once more. He lowered it back to his lap at the sound of a throat clearing.

"I apologize, I hope it wasn't an inconvenience to bring you here. But, you see, Noctis is not...the best when it comes to the art of socializing, so you can imagine my surprise when he mentioned a friend," he gave a casual shrug and glanced over to his son, "He's pretty picky about who he chooses to bond with. Which, I wouldn't consider a particularly bad thing, but it can have its downsides as well."

"So, you're saying he has no other friends?" Prompto arched an eyebrow.

Noctis turned a glaring eye on him, "Well, of course it's gonna sound bad when you word it like that. Like he said," he jabbed a finger towards Regis, "I'm just picky, most people annoy me." He caught the smirk on the other's face, "You're no different, you annoy the shit outta me too, I just choose to tolerate it."

His friend saw the subtle twitch in his eye, but knew better than to comment on that, "Ok, ok, I get it, I'm the exception to your 'everyone sucks' mindset. I'm cool with that."

"He's had other, I wouldn't call them friends, but classmates come back with him," the king continued, leaning back in his chair, taking on a less intimidating posture, "But, let's just say none of them lasted long," he shrugged with one shoulder. "Most people don't understand what to expect when you befriend someone of royalty I guess; they expect fun and games, but aren't prepared for the stress and responsibilities that come with the package." He raised his stare to connect with Prompto's, "So, I do hope you know what you're getting into and are ready for journey that being his comrade entails."

Prompto straightened up at the abrupt change in tone and atmosphere, the serious question catching him by surprise, "Well, I don't think I have much of a choice," he answered honestly. "Can't say I'm used to the whole thing, but if it's something I have to do to stay by his side, then I'm up for whatever it means." He felt so weird saying it, but he didn't know how else to word it. To him, it sounded as though he were pledging his life, or signing his soul to a contract.

Regis paused momentarily to ponder his response, searching his face for any sign of false claims, relaxing again when nothing suspicious or foul popped out at him, "Very well, I'll trust you to stay true to that. I just pray to do not stray from that determination of yours," he glanced between from the two of them, "Well, Noctis, I believe I've had enough to gather a reasonable opinion of your choice."

"Good," he sighed, already standing up, "does this mean I'm free to go then?" his tone carried an essence of boredom mixed with slight agitation, "Because we still have studying to get to."

"Of course," he gestured a hand towards the door, "Don't let me keep you," his hand wandered back to his pen and gripped it to hover over the document before him, "Oh, and Prompto," the blond instantly spun on the spot to face him, shoulders straight with tautness, "Do keep an eye on my son, won't you, he can be reckless, so he depends on others to keep his head level."

"No problem," the blond bowed again, holding it for only a split moment before joining Noctis on the other side, who in turn swiftly shut the door behind them. "Well, I guess you were right," he finally found the courage to speak normally again without the fear of saying something stupid, "That wasn't as bad as I thought it would be." Despite what he said, his legs were still trembling the smallest amount.

"Yeah, yeah, let's just get somewhere before you collapse on yourself," Noctis turned away to go down the hall, "And by the way, that was his way of saying he approves of you," he added with a wave, "Which means you can stop with the near nervous breakdown already.

"Really?" he almost shouted, running to catch up, "So, I didn't screw up then?"

"Not yet, but keep yelling like that, he might change his mind."

"Oh, sorry, my bad," he couldn't rid himself of the smile that now plastered itself on his face. To think, he actually got to meet King Regis, and not only that, but to be approved by him and actually welcomed to remain as his son's friend. It was something he had never dreamed of happening, and definitely something he refused to take for granted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If anyone has requests as well, feel free to leave a comment or PM me with what you want, or message on Tumblr (I go by the same name on there). I just ask that it's nothing x rated, but romance is still alright, and just know that I'm best with hurt/comfort, but it doesn't have to be that, can be just about anything. Also keep in mind that these are things I'll be doing in between chapters/stories of my own works, so they may take time, but I'll try my best to get to them eventually.
> 
> Queue as of now:
> 
> TheBigbyWolf  
mutini  
Silverheartlugia2000  
itsscrow  
cinqluna  
'Anonymous'  
'Anonymous2'  
Prompto_Cam  
'Anonymous3'  
Mirai Lianna  
Touched  
Musiclife1988  
Shiary  
ScribeOfRhapsody  
ellaygee  
Hollypopstop  
Kloudia1  
laurelilith  
Kestrealbird  
Snow  
mabver321  
MasterThiefWolf


	9. Brief History

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Noctis struggles to keep his cool when his class takes a little field trip to the local museum to learn about the history of the crystal. C:

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta read by: SinikkavonWolperting  
Sorry this one is a bit short, but I had a hard time trying to stretch it out more than this without dragging it on. ;w; But I tried. Also, I really hope I got the history and facts accurate, I am ashamed to say that I had to do a bit of research for this one. >_____>

Noctis seemed to naturally drift towards the back of the herd, whether it was out of instinct or intention, he didn't know, but he did know that he didn't wish to be hovered around on this little 'trip' of theirs. All the other kids in his class chatted among themselves, walking close behind their teacher as they traveled the streets towards their destination. Every last one of them were overflowing with unreasonable excitement, thrill that he was seriously lacking. But, he figured he had a good reason to be, he could already predict the amount of unwanted attention that would result from this day.

He groaned to himself as he stuffed his hands in his pockets and leaned his head back to stare up at the clouds, which to him were far more interesting than this stupid field trip. And, he wondered why he was even here, not like he needed this lessen; out of all those here, he probably knew the most on this subject. For once in his life, he thought that maybe a day of training with Gladio would be much more appealing. Hell, he'd even choose to be having an etiquette lecture from specs himself if it meant sparing him of this torture.

He gasped as some exclaimed offhandedly when he bumped into them after their abrupt stop; either that or he wasn't paying attention, most likely the second possibility. "Hey, watch where you-" she stopped mid complaint and blushed noticeably and stepped back, "Oh, Pr-Prince Noctis," she stammered as recognition spurred up, "Sorry, I didn't know it was you." The girl quickly apologized as she fiddled with her hands nervously.

The prince said nothing and merely shrugged it off, already growing annoyed with the way he was being sucked up to. It was everyday with that crap, and he grew sick and tired of it. Just because of his royal blood, people had to treat him like he was some strange and rare specimen, not like a fellow classmate and human being. "Don't worry about it," he sighed, walking a few feet away to stand apart from the small crowd.

"Alright, everyone, remember to stick together; no wandering off alone unless you are accompanied by either myself or another adult that's a part of this group," the teacher clapped his hands together to ensure he held everyone's attention, "And if everyone is ready, we'll be heading inside," he turned back towards the building and began heading up the stairs.

The raven-haired gazed up at the large 'Museum of Lucian History' engraved above the entrance and felt another wave of dread pulse through his veins...this was going to be quite the day. If he was lucky, maybe he'd find an opening to hide or something. "Noctis, don't get left behind," he rolled his eyes but skipped up the stairs regardless of how much he opposed the idea of it.

Upon walking in, his uninterested gaze glanced from one display to the next, all of which had some description beneath, a quick summary of what ever was being shown meant and how it played a part in their history. All of which was old news to him. He yawned, more so out of sheer boredom than actual tiredness. "Hey, I bet you already know loads about this stuff, huh?" another girl stepped up behind him, with way more energy than he was comfortable with. "Ya know, I'm not the best with this kind of stuff, maybe you could help me out sometime?" she gave him an innocent and forcefully sweet smile that made him want to throw up.

Shrugging, he glanced away in a show of indifference, "I dunno, maybe sometime." 'Yeah, right,' he thought, but at least had enough courtesy not to voice that part.

But, that seemed to be good enough for her, and much to his chagrin, enough to encourage her to continue to pester him. Grabbing his wrist, she less than gently tugged him towards another exhibit, one showing a map of Insomnia as a whole, covered in red dots. "What are all those for?" she asked pointing to a particularly dense cluster of the blemishes. Without a word, he pointed to the description, honestly, was it really that difficult to read before asking needless questions? "Oh...yeah," she bashfully uttered upon seeing the word, 'wars' and not bothering to read beyond that.

When he saw her mouth open, ready to spew out another frustrating comment or question, he pulled his arm away, "I'll be back, I have to...go to the bathroom," he swiftly came up with an excuse on the spot.

"But, you can't leave the group," her face fell into an almost pout.

"It's just the bathroom, not like I'm going far," he spoke incredulously, jamming a thumb in the direction of the restrooms, "Besides, I'm coming right back." he spun on his heel and delved into a speed walk, making a bee line for the door. The moment he was through, he leaned against the door and took a few deep and calming breaths. Not nearly five minutes into this terse adventure and he was ready to make a run for it; he thought for sure he would have been able to hold it together longer than that, guess his tolerance wasn't as fortified as he had previously assumed. "Just gotta make it a few hours," he reminded himself with a hand running through his hair, "You can be a nice person for that long, no problem."

Now, with his nerves no longer on edge, he pushed the door back open, clenching his teeth when he saw that same girl wave him over to the rest of the group. Luckily, it didn't seem like the teacher noticed his absence yet, so there was one thing going for him. Going against his natural reaction, he returned the small smile, face twitching with the effort, and gradually joined them, purposefully walking to the opposite side that she was positioned at. Apparently, the instructor was babbling on about some war, mentions of Solheim and 'the darkness' went in one ear and out the other. He already knew all this, having it etched into his memory at a young age; apparently it was important for him to have this stuff down to a t.

Either way, he was sick of hearing about it. "Alright, a show of hands, who here knows the purpose of the Crystal?" he clapped his hands together in his own show of enthusiasm and gestured to the fairly accurate model of said artifact as he scanned over the small crowd of children; only a few raised their hands, all of which were eager to tell what knowledge they had on the subject. "Yes, you," he pointed to some boy in the back only a few feet away from Noctis.

"Uh, it protects the city," he said with an unnecessary amount of confidence, a smirk on his face that made Noctis want to say some less than pleasant things.

"Very close," the man replied, obviously not wanting to hurt the kid's feelings by telling him how vague his answer had been, "But not quite." He stepped closer to the exhibit, circling part way around it as he looked it up and down, "Yes, in a sense, it does protect the city and all of its citizens, but not in as a direct way as you may think." He stared at it as his lecture drawled on, "It was a gift, a gift from the astrals to mankind. Well, to part of mankind to be more accurate, in order for us to stand a chance against Starscourge, a repellent of sorts," he shrugged at the word choice.

"But, what does it do?" Some other kid asked, tilting his head quizzically and skeptically to the side, "Just looks like a normal rock to me," he walked up to poke a finger to scaled structure.

"No, touching," their instructor swiftly herded him back with a wave of his hands. "And that's a great question," he straightened himself up, preparing to start another brief speech. "As I said, he provides us with the means to protect this world, a power so great that the clutches of the everlasting night can be held at bay and kept from consuming the world as we know it. Now, that isn't to say that it doesn't come with a price..." he trailed off slightly, eyes darting over to the prince, a few other sets of eyes following suit, "But, that's a lesson for another time," he forcefully ended it there, unsure if it was alright to discuss the payment required for such power in front of one who would one day have to take on that responsibility.

Noctis caught the near sympathetic gaze and simply turned his attention away from it; he didn't want people's pity, that was for sure, "I don't mind," he muttered waving a hand for the man to continue his lesson, if not, he knew the others would just pester him about it, so it was better this way.

"Are you sure you're alright with that, it's a bit personal, so I'll understand." The prince just nodded and folded his arms, trying to look as nonchalant as possible on the subject, "Well, ok then. You see, it does provide the royal bloodline with unbelievable power, and in return, it seeks protection. As long as it is kept safe and protected, it will return that security," even as he spoke, he flashed glances at the kid, "And, as a sort of side effect, I guess you could call it, it thrives off the currents king's life force; it's a subtle exchange of services, but it is a delicate balance," he finished off with a sorrowful sigh.

The raven shifted under the various gazes bearing down on him, some full fascinated and in awe, while others were somewhat sympathetic. "Does, does that mean Noctis will have to take on that job?" asked the same girl from earlier, a hint of fear in her voice. Their teacher replied with one curt nod.

"It's not that big of a deal," Noctis turned his head away from the group, their gawks and intrigued stares grating on his nerves now; why was this always the reaction this news solicited, couldn't they just nod and move along for once? "So, you lose a few years, you die anyway, so it's really not that different from anyone else."

An awkward and uncomfortable silence followed suit, only making the moment even more unwanted, and now he wished he had said nothing. Lucky for him, his discontent was noticed, "Ok, next stop of ours is The Ring of Lucii display," he ushered the crowd along, quickly moving their easily manipulated attention over to something else and set the prince with a somewhat apologetic look when it was his turn to walk by the man. "And, does anyone know anything about this fine piece of our history?" he wasted no time in getting right to it.

This time it was another girl that answered, one of the more...intelligent peers among them, which wasn't saying much in Noctis' opinion, "It works as a link between the Crystal and the current king, allowing them to use its power," she answered with far more poise than needed, just emanating what a know-it-all she was.

"Exactly," he snapped his fingers to show his unwavering approval at the answer, "The ring works as a connection between its wearer and the crystal, allowing them to harness the almighty power it embodies. But, like the crystal, it has exceptions and prices. It's a bit picky about who is and is not allowed to use it. And, also like the crystal, it only favors those of the royal bloodline, all others will be denied its forces, and frequently punished for seeking it. In a way, it is sentient, deciding who is and is not worthy of harnessing it."

"What kind of stuff can it do?" "Is it like super powers?" "How is it connected?" an array of various questions started sounding out, becoming a disorientation of curious voices.

"Hey, settle down, one at a time," he held up his hands in order to calm the riling bunch, never picking up on a coherent question, "You?" he pointed to someone in the back.

"So, it's like a person...in the form of a ring? That doesn't make sense," he folded his arms as he glanced at Noctis, "And it just chooses people like him?"

He sighed out of frustration, "No, it's not like a 'person,' that's stupid." Noctis said a bit more bitterly than he had intended, but at the moment, he didn't care, he was unimaginably annoyed.

"Well, I can see why you would think that," their instructor spoke up before an argument could spark up, "It does contain the beings of the previous kings, the ancestors of the Lucis bloodline, so in a sense, it is like a person, but a lot of them. Think of it like a council of sorts, a council that continues to grow and provide their assistance when needed," he kept his answer fairly simple, not wanting to go to far into detail yet, that could be saved for the classroom. "Anymore questions?" he scanned over them, looking for any raised limbs. Seeing none, he relaxed his shoulders slightly, "Alright then, I think it's time for a short break, then we'll move on to something a bit less...controversial. We'll start discussing the origins of the Crown City; how it came to be and how it grew into what it is today."

Noctis felt a minimal amount of tension drain from him with the satisfaction of hearing that; it meant all the focus would finally move on to something else; no more discussion of his future duties to linger on anymore, well not for the time being that is. In a way, it felt more like a breech of privacy, something he wasn't too keen on being common knowledge. Though, now he felt the dread knowing that they'd go further into detail in class at a later date, which he knew would be just as horrible. If he were lucky, maybe he'd be sick that day and could miss out on such a thrilling day.

But, with a moment to himself, at least he'd be able to collect himself, and hopefully the other kids would find something to distract themselves with, anything to keep their minds busy and away from thoughts of him and his business. Sighing, he sat on a nearby bench and stared at the model of the crystal, a pang of animosity towards t stinging his chest. As much as he hated it, it was something he couldn't avoid, the king wouldn't live forever, especially not with the way his health had been heading as of late. And, yeah, he tried to play it off and pretend like it wasn't an issue, but he could see it, the fade in his eyes and the falters in his steps. His well-being was declining swiftly, and the moment it ran out, he'd be up next to take his place.

Looking away, he cast his eyes to the floor, feeling sick from looking at it now, because of that damn thing, his bloodline was pretty much cursed to bear its burden for the rest of time, remaining a permanent target for outsiders and in constant danger of being overrun. He rubbed his eyes tiredly and pushed himself back to his feet at the sounds of the crowd moving on, and with one last fleeting glance at the exhibit, he strolled after the others, placing his mask of indifference back on for show.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If anyone has requests as well, feel free to leave a comment or PM me with what you want, or message on Tumblr (I go by the same name on there). I just ask that it's nothing x rated, but romance is still alright, and just know that I'm best with hurt/comfort, but it doesn't have to be that, can be just about anything. Also keep in mind that these are things I'll be doing in between chapters/stories of my own works, so they may take time, but I'll try my best to get to them eventually.
> 
> And I have this unspoken rule, that if I already wrote yours, then feel free to request another, but if your name is on the list, then it will have to wait until I get to your first one. Basically, just don't want the same name on the list more than once.
> 
> Queue as of now:
> 
> mutini  
Silverheartlugia2000  
itsscrow  
cinqluna  
'Anonymous'  
'Anonymous2'  
Prompto_Cam  
'Anonymous3'  
Mirai Lianna  
Touched  
Musiclife1988  
Shiary  
ScribeOfRhapsody  
ellaygee  
Hollypopstop  
Kloudia1  
laurelilith  
Kestrealbird  
Snow  
mabver321  
MasterThiefWolf  
Tabbys_desire


	10. Wrong State of Mind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When a rather treacherous storm sneaks up on the four of them, they seek out a better shelter than their flimsy tent, but things can never go right. The normally careful Ignis takes a bit of a stumble and suffers from a bit of a head injury.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta read by: SinikkavonWolperting  
Request for: mutini
> 
> Hope the end doesn't sound too much like BS, but I wanted something a bit on the 'really?' side for that to kinda lighten the mood a bit.

He rubbed the back of his neck, massaging the stiffness of the night from it after having slept on such an unflattering surface for so long. Taking a look around and grimacing at the lack of light filtering in through their tent, Ignis scooped up his phone and checked the time. It was past nine, and he sighed in agitation at what that entailed. "Great," he muttered, peeling the flap back just enough to gaze up at the darkened sky; grayish clouds tangled together in the distance, painting an eerie picture above them. "Just what we needed," he continued to openly voice his dismay at this predicament.

From the looks of things, there wouldn't be time for him to make breakfast, not without their meal getting saturated anyway. Unless the others enjoyed soggy eggs, that wasn't an option. And, normally he would have given them a bit more time in order to wake up, but from the looks of things, this was a storm he didn't exactly care to get stuck in the middle of. Dropping the material back in place, he turned and placed a gentle hand on the prince's shoulder and shook it easily, "Noct, sorry, but I believe it's time we get going." He ignored the grumbles and hushed complaints as he moved on to his next target: Gladio. This one got up almost instantly and set to work on rustling the last of them, who had similar reactions to Noctis.

"What's the big deal, Specs?" the raven breathed out, trying to pull the cover over his head only to have it forcefully yanked back away, "Hey!"

"Up," Gladio nudged him, with much less gentleness than the adviser had, "Gotta get going unless you wish to have a nice shower," he strolled over and repeated the actions with the blond, getting another moan out of him, "Come on, get yer asses up you bums." After another few seconds of minimal effort of getting up, he resorted to ripping the blankets up and tucking them under his arm. "Don't make me repeat myself," he left them like that, and headed out to help Ignis with the packing. "So, Iggy, how long you think it'll take before she hits?"

He thought on it for a moment, "Hmm, perhaps an hour, two hours tops."

The shield ran a frustrated hand through his hair, "Not enough time to outrun it then, I suppose."

"Not likely," he agreed, folding up the last of their chairs, "And getting all this ready to go will take at least twenty minutes."

"Don't you think we'd have better luck just waiting it out here then?" he waved a hand in the direction of the tent, "I mean, we do kinda already have our shelter; it won't kill us to stay here another night if we have to."

Ignis hummed to himself, gazing back up to observe the sky, "I don't think so, it looks pretty bad, and I don't want to risk it. If it's going to be as severe as it looks, I doubt that raggedy shelter can withstand it," and with that, a more than harsh breeze whistled through, sending a chill through the both of them. "Make sure they're up, we need to leave now; the stuff can stay here," he decided, not wanting to endanger any of them for the sake of a few replaceable supplies. He felt an uneasiness run down his spine as the wind was already starting to pick up even more.

"Whoa mama!" Ignis turned at the shocked exclamation, the blond emerging in time to feel his own refreshing gust, "This can't be good," he stared up at the still darkening clouds.

"Indeed, it cannot be," Ignis backed that claim up, "Is His Highness ready to go?"

"Right here," at least he sounded a bit more awake and a lot more ready to high tail it out of there, so that was a plus and made this easier on them. "If you would have said, 'Hey, there's a giant storm, time to go,' I think that would have done the trick." He snidely commented, going for a bit of humor, but falling just short of it into sarcastic territory.

Gladio stepped up next to him and roughly clapped him on the upper back, "Yeah, yeah, let's just get going already before this thing really hits. So, what's the plan?" he turned his head towards the adviser just as the first droplets cascaded down.

"For now, we need only worry about finding a safer spot to wait it out."

"Like a cave?" the larger man suggested.

Prompto audibly groaned at the mention of it, "Please, anything but that, you never know what's lurking inside those things."

"We may not have a choice," Ignis denied the blond's protests, "If a cave happens to be the first thing we come across, then in a cave we shall stay." He ignored the second whine that followed that finalized proposal, "Alright, let's get going before it really stirs up," he heavily recommended, shifting his feet to feel the smoothness of the stone beneath them, knowing how hazardous this area was going to become once the rain gained density.

The gunner scowled slightly, but made no other attempts to refuse; it was clear that the idea was set in stone and never to be changed from this point on, "Fine, but if we get attacked from some big monster, don't come crying to me."

"You'd be the last one I'd go crying to," Gladio teased, stepping by him to take the spot between him and Noctis. Subtly placing himself to walk close to both should either of them falter or stumble, seeing as they were the most clumsy and reckless. "Just try to watch your step, cant have you breakin' your neck," He glanced back to give a sly smile.

"Please, I have the dexterity of a cat," he winked, letting out a small gasp when he nearly tripped over a loose rock, "T-that doesn't count, I was distracted!"

"Suuuure," the shield rolled his eyes, unseen by the younger, "Not even a minute in and you're already 'getting distracted.'"

Ignis was quick to lead them from the treachery of their current path, taking them onto softer land where they could get some proper traction for a while. And, already the ground was grasping at their feet, sodden from the fresh rain as they squished through it at a less than ideal pace. "Watch your footing," Ignis called over his shoulder when the earth shifted from beneath one of his feet, causing him to stumble and use a tree to stay upright. "The rain is begging to worsen, so this will get a tad more unreliable."

"Ya don't say," Noctis grumbled, yanking his foot from the ground's clutches, "Isn't there, I dunno, a different path we can take, one where we aren't at risk of sinking?" he shivered as another gust of wind sapped some of his warmth away, "Or at least somewhere where we won't get blown away."

The adviser didn't reply for quite sometime, only doing so once something in the distance caught his attention, "No, there wasn't. If we stayed on those rocks, surely someone would have gotten themselves in a tight spot, and there isn't exactly many options...as you can see." He swiped a couple of hair fringes from his forehead and squinted through the haze, "I believe I see something that will suffice, but it's still a ways off."

"Well, if you don't see anything else, let's get going," Gladio shouted from towards the back, barely hearing the brunet from the roar cascading around them. "If we hurry up, then mayb-" he jumped, along with the others when a flash lit up the dulled sky, and new and monstrous crash blared in their ears. "Never mind," he sighed.

The strategist scowled at that, deciding if it was really wise to continue forth in these worsening conditions. But, there was no possibility of going back, especially with these ever surging gusts, threatening to topple them over with each rush. And in the short amount of time since this started, his vision was starting to blur with the raging storm. "Dammit," he muttered, raising a hand in a hopeless attempt at blocking out some of the water, "I think we may need to get a move on," he finally decided.

"For once, I agree with moving faster," Prompto nodded erratically, "Not liking this very much." He shook his head like a wet dog to rid his face of plastered hair, grimacing slightly a the state it was now in.

"Yeah," Noctis chimed in, widening his steps to match the new pace, "I'm with ya on that one."

For another ten minutes they held this speed; there were a few stumbles and frequent fumbles, but nothing they couldn't quickly recover from and press on. Luckily, the ground had been mostly flat and stable, much to their relief. But, the longer they trudged on, the more concerned they became from the declining weather; the gusts now managing to throw them off balance, and the rain almost completely obscuring their sight. "Ignis!" the shield called over the forces, "I think we better find another place!" He couldn't even see where they were going anymore, let alone their destination.

Ignis grit his teeth subtly, he knew the man was right, but where the hell did he expect them to go, none of them could exactly make things out in these conditions, "When you see something, then feel free to let me know," he voiced a bit more bitterly than intended.

"Look, all I'm saying is, we don't want to get lost," he swiftly defended, "I'm sure we can spot something if we keep an eye out."

The younger two hummed in agreement, not that their gestures were heard. Noctis ran straight into the brunet, unaware of the halt, "Wha- Why did you stop?" he asked, stepping back and holding an arm over his face.

"Looking for an outcropping, shelter of some sorts, anything. Gladio's right, it wouldn't be wise to continue on in this," he sighed and started walking again, slowing their speed down considerably, "We can stay there until it dies down enough for us to be able to ma-" He let out a startled gasp as his foot seemed to step into nothingness; where the hell was the ground? He reached out for he wasn't sure what, anything his hand brushed against to break his fall, and he felt his heart drop when it came across nothing. In his moment of panic, he tried to turn his body mid fall and instantly regretted it.

"Ignis!" He heard the prince call his name a fraction of a second before explosive pain ruptured through his skull, sending pulses of agony throughout it and down his body. Most of what happened after that was a blur of smaller bumps and scratches before he finally came to a stop supposedly an eternity later; felt like much longer than it should have for a simple slip-up. For a while, he merely lied there, struggling to make sense of what happened, unable to process the events or even think clearly. Trying to roll over to his side, a pained groan escape as his head was jostled with the action.

"-gy!" He picked up on the dissected end of his name, but couldn't muster the strength nor the willpower to respond; everything just hurt far too much. Yet, his logical side berated him to just move, to just try to get up, that he couldn't stay there. And the sloshing rain drenching down on him backed that command up. Coughing against the dryness in his throat, as well as the trickles of water that found their way in, he fumbled to get his arms beneath him and slowly pushed up. Even that small movement sent waves of dizziness and nausea through him. Alright, that was a bad idea.

"Dammit, Specs, answer me!" Noctis shouted over the cacophony of rain and wind, "Hey!" he shouted louder, not bothering to hide his growing concern. He quieted for a moment, only his quickened pants sounding out as he waited for any sign. And, he felt a tinge of tension leave his shoulders at the sound of a cough. Ok, he was alive, that was something.

Gladio swiftly pulled the prince back, "You trying to fall down too?" he half grunted, "Iggy, stay where you are, we'll find another way down, just don't move," he practically begged, unsure of how bad he was injured. There was no doubt in his mind that he didn't fall and land unscathed, not from the sounds he heard that is. "Noctis," he turned back to him, "Stay here and try to keep him talking, we don't know how bad it is, but keep him talking and awake." He stepped by and clapped Prompto on the back, "You come with me, and for the love of all that is holy, watch your damn step."

"Right," the blond gave a curt nod, "No worries here, I'll be sure to stay right behind you," he blurted out, clearly trying his best not to freak out as his heart pounded against his ribs.

"Remember Noct, do not let him drift off, no matter what," and with that, the two of them disappeared into the grey curtain, not even their footsteps reaching his ears.

Nearing the edge again, the prince summoned his blade and stabbed it into the first bit of penetrable ground he could find, using that to grip just to be on the safe side. "Ignis," he shouted, you still with me?" Nothing, "Hey, come one, keep up with me will ya? I just wanna make sure you're not, you know, dead," he chuckled at his own morbid and inappropriate humor to try and settle his own anxiety.

The brunet scrunched his face at the sound reaching him, sounding way too loud as it mixed in with the other unwelcomed noises. But, he recognized it as His Highness' and the worry that laced it persuaded him, "Mmhmm," he hummed, sure that wasn't enough to be heard, but he didn't think he could muster much more than that. It was then that he was aware of the fact that his eyes were still shut, and honestly, he was reluctant to pry them open. Still, it had to be done, he had to get up and figure out where he was exactly, since he obviously wasn't close to the others anymore.

Whimpering as one eye cracked open, he quickly shut it back, the small amount of light that seeped in bringing fresh pangs with it. Taking a deep breath, he forced both open, and just like he had expected, it offered nothing bu agony, yet, he willed them to remain open, only half blinking when droplets assaulted them. Deciding to give the sitting up thing another try, he pushed once more, his arms shook drastically with the effort, but so far he made it further than the first. Focusing on that bit of progress, or as much as his throbbing skull would allow, he sat the rest of the way up.

The feeling of sickness hit full force now that he was upright, and the tilting and swaying of his surroundings didn't provide any alleviation. He lifted one hand to his mouth while the other reached out to brace himself against a stone wall; it took nearly all of his concentration to keep from throwing up on the spot. He moaned with what that meant, even with a muddled mind he could pick up on the symptoms. Once he was sure he wasn't going to vomit, that hand drifted to cradle his head, fingers dancing around its surface in search of the source. He winced and a gasp sounded out when his fingers brushed over a particularly tender area; the spot felt a tad swollen and slick with a substance that obviously wasn't water.

He grit his teeth and pulled it away to hold it in front of his face, and he couldn't stop the humorless chuckle that leaked out. Yup, blood was there, staining his fingers, 'perfect', he thought with a cringe. This is just what they needed at this moment. Another current of light-headedness flowed, and he dipped his head down slightly to try and ignore the wavering of everything. To him this was slightly alarming, the prospect of getting out of here quickly diminishing. "Specs!" he heard his nick once again and knew he couldn't put off giving a real reply forever, especially since the panic in that voice was escalating with each call.

"Yeah!" He called back, his own voice resounding painfully off the interior of this...cavern? Whatever it was, it only made the sounds worse and less forgiving. "I-I'm here!" his tone was far less confident than he would have liked it to be.

"Ok!" he sounded more calm at least, "A-Are you alright? Are you hurt?" and that apprehension was back again with that question.

Ignis clenched his teeth against another pound, "Mostly," he replied vaguely, flinching. He hadn't realized until then that he had resorted to leaning against the wall in order to stay upright, and he was sure he'd be down if it weren't for its support. Colors were dancing in his vision, his pulse thrumming through his veins with the fear of losing consciousness, 'Come on, keep yourself together,' he closed his eyes tightly and placed his cheek against the stone, taking in the coolness of it momentarily. 'Can't pass out yet, just keep it together.'

His breaths came out heavy and quickly, a bad sign. He forced himself to try and even them out, taking in deeper and calming breaths; Ignis relaxed finally as the worst of the daze subsided, leaving his body shaking and unstable. At least he was awake though, that's all he cared about. Confident that he was fine for the time being, he eased his eyes open once again, thankful when the pain didn't hit quite like it had the first time. Well, it was a start.

"Ignis?" the prince yelled down again, "Do you see any other way out of there? The others went to look for another way down, but is there even another way from where you are?"

Right, he hadn't even considered searching, his thoughts had went straight to climbing out. Quite a foolish mistake on his part, though, he had a pretty valid excuse for his hindered thinking abilities. "I-I don't know," he muttered, his energy waning quickly with the effort it took just to remain propped up. He glanced around, the movements making him even more miserable, and he wanted nothing more than to just give up and lie down and let the darkness consumed him. But, the fear of not waking up gave him the power to fight against it. There would be plenty of time for rest later, but now, now was not that time.

* * *

  
"Y-you think he's alright?" Prompto asked timidly, wrapping his arms around himself against another gust and skipping forward to walk next to the shield. "I mean, that was, uh, quite the fall and all, ya know?"

Gladio grunted and sighed out, "I'm sure he'll be fine," he said almost as a reflex, "This is Ignis we're talking about, he's a pretty capable guy, more so than the rest of us." He shrugged, trying not to let his concern shine through too much, "If anyone can manage it down there, it's him, but I doubt he's climbing back up that crevice. And if he does happen to be in bad shape, then there's not a chance of that happening." The blond merely lowered his head, still not liking that answer, but it was a response nonetheless.

They slowed a bit when they noticed a change in the weather, not a drastic one, but the rain seemed to lighten up some, just enough to see a few more feet around them. "Looks like the Gods are on our side, huh?" the gunner rhetorically asked, a slight and sorrowful grin tugging the corner of his mouth.

"Yeah, for some reason, I don't think they are," he glanced back in the direction of the others, and that grin vanished immediately, "Sure would have been nice of them to step in sooner, doncha think?" He kept a close eye on the crevice, following it closely and keeping an eye out for any spot that looked stable enough to climb down from, and after a couple more minutes, he spotted the perfect spot. "And there we are," his tone was finally lifted up.

"There?" Prompto asked, slightly concerned and confused, "But, doesn't that still look a bit, well, iffy?" He gazed at the slope, looking more like a water slide at the moment, "How the hell are we supposed to get back up?"

Gladio patted him on the shoulder and went to stand at the top of it, "We'll worry about that later, for now, we only need to busy ourselves with getting to Ignis." The other nodded, understanding the gravity of the situation. "But, if it makes ya feel better, I'll be going first, so if anything happens, you'll know to look for another way."

"What?!" he near panicked, "No, don't do that, if something happens to you too, then there's no way I can help both of you."

"Don't worry, I believe in you," the shield winked a second before thrusting his body down the slope.

"Hey wai- ugh," he danced around on the spot for a moment, nervously pacing and muttering how stupid this was to himself until he heard a sound of approval form the larger man, "I can't believe I'm about to do this, I mean, any other time sure, but now...fine, fine, I'm going," he raised both hands in surrender to no one, and with a lot more hesitance than Gladio, he positioned himself. With another hard swallow, he allowed himself to slide down, gasping and groaning the whole way down. "This is it, this is how I die," he whined, closing his eyes tightly as he neared the bottom, only to have the air knocked out of him when he ran into something at the bottom, both of them emitting a small grunt.

"Well, you're alive," Gladio confirmed, pulling the blond up to his feet while he continued to catch his breath.

"Huh, yeah, I guess," he breathed out.

The larger gave him one last nod and turned to face down the length of the crevice, seeing nothing but sheltered darkness and rain that flooded in; and with his first step, he sensed a new reason to fear. Water was beginning to fill the area, with the bottom being mostly stone, it would take water quite some time to soak in. "We should probably hurry," he commented, breaking out into a light jog, just enough so that he wouldn't have to worry about tripping over anything.

The younger didn't have to ask, the reason for the fresh alarm quite clear as he took that first step and heard the splash it produced. And, they both prayed that Ignis at least wasn't stuck in a lying position.

* * *

  
Ignis placed one unsure foot on the ground, the sloshing of water teasing him with the movement, and to him, it seemed an awful amount higher than it was just a few minutes ago, in fact, he was willing to bet that it was. "Tch," he tried to stand, but his legs and head just wanted no part in it, instantly denying him that luxury.

"Everything still alright down there?" Noctis called, having heard nothing for an unsettling amount of time.

The brunet lowered himself back into a kneeling pose, the strain getting to his stability and throwing his vision out of whack. This was ridiculous, zero progress had been made aside from sitting up, but that sure as hell wasn't getting him out of this mess, that was for certain. Right, he was just asked something, "Yeah," he replied, his tongue tripping over the single word as it slurred ungracefully passed his lips.

Breathing becoming a struggle for the second time, he felt himself tilt dangerously forward, and he had no choice but to drop his hands in front of him to keep from collapsing face first into the pool building up around him; his chest heaved with the fight to stay awake, but everything hurt so damn much and he was swiftly losing the battle. Again, he heard his name being called, but this sounded quite a bit closer, and it wasn't Noct; it was deeper and more gruff. "Gladio?" he thought he asked, but wasn't sure if he actually managed to voice it out loud, "Glad...io?" he tried again, blackness creeping at the edges.

He felt hands wrapping around him, more hushed words, were they hushed? Either that or the ringing in his ears flushed them out. Either way, he heard nothing of it, only that he was being spoken to and he tried desperately to speak back, but he was sure he wasn't saying anything coherent, if he was at all. But he must have been saying something if the responses he got meant anything. To his dismay, those were quickly fading as well, becoming a light buzz at the back of his botched head. And, ultimately, all of it fleeted him, slipping through his fingers and everything slithered away.

The stale scent was the first thing that he was aware of, and he used that as an anchor to ground him, something to build himself up from; it was all he had to go on, so it would have to work. Gripping it, he followed it and allowed it to guide him, and after a time, he fully regretted it; going after it brought on a world of pain, throbs and aches throughout his body, the worst of it residing on the side of his skull. He groaned with the agony of it, and along with it, the familiar feeling of hands were on him.

"-nis," someone spoke closely to him, and even thought their voice was low, it blared and stabbed at his skull, "Ignis," it tried again, but louder to his disapproval.

"Hmm," he moaned, trying to turn his head away from it and earning a few more fresh pounds. "Wha-?" his right hand went to feel the area that was the worse, his fingers glancing over a material before being swiftly yanked away.

"Don't touch it," this was a soft voice, low and reserved.

"Noct?" he asked, taking a guess. It was either him or Prompto, but in his current state, it was a bit hard to tell the difference; all he knew was that it wasn't Gladio.

"Yeah, scared us for a while there," he laughed slightly, purely out of relief, "How're ya feeling?"

The adviser responded by just groaning again, "Had worse," he shrugged off.

"Bullshit," that was Gladio, he could tell by the way the voice was grating against his sensitive brain, "I had to haul your ass out of there, no thanks to him," he jabbed a thumb at Prompto. "Had to toss you over a shoulder and climb out."

"Hey," the blond replied, "I'll have you know, I offered, but nooooo, Mr. Big and Tough had to do it alone."

The man gave a playful smirk, "Cuz you were too busy freaking out about the water," he reminded, "Besides, it wasn't that hard getting out. Honestly not sure why you needed us to come get you." Gladio smirked.

Ignis' vision was clear enough for him to somewhat see them clearly, "And how was that?" he asked, genuinely curious, as far as he could tell, there had been nothing.

The shield scratched the back of his head, "Well, there was a fairly easy way up a few yards away," he admitted sheepishly, sounding a bit embarrassed himself. The dead-panned look on the other's face told him the utter shame and confusion that swirled within him.

"What?"

"Yeah, by the time we got to you, the rain cleared enough for Noctis to see more around him, and he yelled down to us, and wouldn't you know it. There was kind of a way down right there the whole time," he shrugged, trying to make it sound like it wasn't that big of a deal.

And, to their surprise, the brunet actually laughed, wincing and stopping instantly, "You don't say," he sighed, letting his eyes close slightly, "So, I could have been out of there within a few minutes?"

"Uhhhh, pretty much," Prompto answered, "But I mean, we couldn't see either, so..."

"Understandable," Ignis agreed, honestly sharing the blame of being as oblivious as them, after all, he had missed it as well. "I think all of us were a little...how do I say it, troubled..." He breathed out heavily through his nose, "Thanks, though, for getting me out of there; I don't think I could have." He thought back to those moments, "Actually, there wasn't much of a chance of me getting out of there alone," he admitted with a jab to his pride.

"Yeah, but you had a pretty bad blow to the head, so you're excused," Noctis made clear, "But them on the other hand, they don't have one." he cut his eyes over to them, "If they would have just looked in the other direction first, then maybe they would have seen the fastest way down."

"That's behind us now," Ignis ended the blame game right there, "Point is, it's over." He shifted and just realized the rough surface beneath, "But, might I ask, where are we exactly?"

Noctis blinked a few times and gazed around, "The storm cleared enough for us to make out the path and we managed to make it to that cave. It took a bit of time since it was still pretty intense out there, but eventually we made it in one...mostly one piece," he quickly corrected.

Ignis nodded painfully slowly, "I see," he blinked a few times as sleep called him again, "How long have we been here?"

"About five hours," Gladio grunted.

"I was out for five hours and no one thought to wake me?" he asked, slightly alarmed, "You know how dangerous it is to sleep with a head injury," he raised his voice a bit, flinching with the sound of it.

"Yeah yeah, don't get yer panties in a bunch," the shield waved a hand, we tried to wake ya, but it was no use. Thought we ought to just let you wake up on your own. And wouldn't you know it, you did." Ignis felt his eye twitch, never has he witnessed such carelessness, and from the ones he trusted, no less. "Relax, I'm kidding," he laughed. "We woke you periodically, only letting you sleep for like a few minutes at a time, and woke you anytime something didn't seem right. But, you seem fine enough now, at least you're making sense anyway."

"Yeah, we wouldn't be that careless," Prompto smiled, "unlike someone," he coughed under his breath.

"Seriously though," Noctis uttered, "Glad you're alright, just don't do that again."

Ignis gave him a sideways smile, "Of course not, Your Highness."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If anyone has requests as well, feel free to leave a comment or PM me with what you want, or message on Tumblr (I go by the same name on there). I just ask that it's nothing x rated, but romance is still alright, and just know that I'm best with hurt/comfort, but it doesn't have to be that, can be just about anything. Also keep in mind that these are things I'll be doing in between chapters/stories of my own works, so they may take time, but I'll try my best to get to them eventually.
> 
> And I have this unspoken rule, that if I already wrote yours, then feel free to request another, but if your name is on the list, then it will have to wait until I get to your first one. Basically, just don't want the same name on the list more than once.
> 
> Queue as of now:
> 
> Silverheartlugia2000  
itsscrow  
cinqluna  
'Anonymous'  
'Anonymous2'  
Prompto_Cam  
'Anonymous3'  
Mirai Lianna  
Touched  
Musiclife1988  
Shiary  
ScribeOfRhapsody  
ellaygee  
Hollypopstop  
Kloudia1  
laurelilith  
Kestrealbird  
Snow  
mabver321  
MasterThiefWolf  
Tabbys_desire  
guest  
Crystal  
Ann


	11. NyaNoct

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More of a cutesy request; the bros have a bit too much fun comparing Noct to that of his feline counterpart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta read by: SinikkavonWolperting  
Request for: Silverheartlugia2000

"Here ya go, if you don't want it now, then I don't know what you want," Noctis sighed lying the plate of freshly prepared fish a few inches from the cat, who looked quizzically at him for a few seconds before stalking over to check it out. "That's it, just try it already will ya?" he urged, gently scooting the plate closer. It took a bit of convincing and reassurance, but ultimately, it finally decided that the meal was up to its standards and took the first bite. Sighing in relief that it was finally eating what he offered, the prince stood up and folded his arms over his chest. "Swear, that was far more trouble than it should have been; never seen an animal so spoiled in my life," he lightly chuckled.

Gladio gave him a sly smile, "Still find it odd that you're better with cats than actual people, I'll never understand that. The future king, has better social skills with felines."

"If there happened to be a cat kingdom, we may actually be golden," Ignis agreed, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "Now, Your Highness, if we're done with this, we should really think about finding a place to crash for the night before it becomes too late," he remained, glancing up to the sky, already painted with hues of oranges and reds.

Prompto gestured towards the residence behind him with both hands, "Hello? Nice and lovely place literally right there," he waved his hands unnecessarily, trying to pull their attention towards it.

"Tell me, Prompto, do you happen to have a large sum of gil just waiting in your pockets?" the brunet asked with a touch of humor. The blond's face fell and he cast his gaze down to the pier, seemingly thinking about it. "It's far too expensive, and the truth of the matter is, we simply can't afford it."

The shield placed his hands on his hips and glanced off behind Ignis somewhere, "Well, surely we can afford that," he nodded his head in that direction and all three pairs of eyes followed and landed on the slightly run-down looking camper.

"Works for me," Prompto shrugged, "right now, I'll take anything that isn't the ground, so." He yawned and scratched the back of his head, subtly ruffling the hairstyle.

Noctis hummed in agreement, "I have no complaints, no preference here, I'm just ready to go to sleep." Though he said that, he still scowled a bit at the appearance of it, knowing being within a five foot radius was bound to give them all tetanus. "Let's just go," he headed over, not waiting to see whether the adviser agreed to the suggestion or not, and not really caring at the moment.

Ignis sighed and closed his eyes, "Very well, if we're in mutual agreement, then I don't see why not." He positioned himself behind the prince, hesitating and glancing over his shoulder at the soft 'pitter-patter' behind them, seeing as it couldn't have belonged to a human. And, he narrowed his eyes at their feline straggler, "Noct, I believe you've made a friend," he uttered under his breath.

Confused, the raven turned around, "Come on," he breathed out in annoyance, "You can't follow, sorry but you gotta stay here," he said, as if it'd understand and spun back on his heel. He blinked irritably slowly when the light taps continued, "Are you kidding me?" he whispered to himself, choosing not to stop this time.

Behind him, he could hear the soft laughs of the blond as he obviously tried to stifle his amusement, "Guess he thinks you are two of a kind," he commented with another chuckle.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" he half snapped in offense as the ground transitioned from wood to sand. "We're nothing alike," he added stubbornly.

"Dude, you are basically a cat incarnated into a human, and there's no denying that," he glanced down at the creature as it slowly caught up to walk behind Noctis and his eyes flickered between the two, "Yup, I can hardly tell the difference." That had at least earned an entertained smirk from the larger man.

He joined in on the poking and teasing, "You know, he does have a point, you both even have the same 'I'm better than you' strut down pat." The man had to use a hand to stop the laughter as both of them stopped to turn and face them. "Cats can't understand us, can they?"

"Of course not," Ignis replied, "I've only been aware of one that could, and he just so happens to be the next heir to the throne," he grinned at his own joke at the prince's expense.

Noctis scoffed at them, "You know what, I've had about enough of it, and you just wait. The moment I'm in that throne every damn one of you are gonna regret it," he halted his steps as they reached the camper, his arms folded back over his chest as he waited for all of them to catch up. The others said nothing aside from share the same shit-eating smirk. And, he felt his eye twitch at the sensation of something rubbing against his lower leg. "Go back already will ya?" He demanded in a hushed tone, not wanting to make the situation more disgracing than it already was.

"Aw, come on dude, accept it already, he likes you," the blond crouched down next to it to stroke his hand down its back, "And you have to admit, it is kinda cute. Won't hurt to just let it stay for one night." He smiled as it purred and pressed the side of its face against his waiting hand, "Plus, they're social creatures and it's probably been a while since it's come across another of its own." Noctis stared down at the two of them, and slowly shook his head with a hushed and quick, 'whatever.' "I knew you couldn't resist that little face."

"Shut up," was all the prince said as he disappeared into the solitude of the structure, feline close behind.

Ignis quickly brushed all the teasing and joking off to the side and made is way in as well, fully intended to check out what the measly kitchen had to offer. "May as well see what I can whip up for us," he muttered, "Thought whatever it is, it won't be anywhere near as elegant as our furry leech was lucky to have."

"I'm really not too picky at the moment," the shield assured, "As long as it's edible, it's good enough."

"I second that," Prompto held up a hand as he spoke. The both of them made their way directly to the seats sitting just outside and situated themselves semi-comfortably within them while they waited. "How about a bit of King's Knight," he offered, wanting to break the sudden silence with some sort of distraction. The other grunted as he pulled out his phone, the familiar tune sounding out soon after.

While Ignis sorted through cabinets and searched through drawers, he was finally able to scrounge up what little supplies this place had to offer, and that combined with their own stocks, he figured he could make something half decent. Well, something better than canned beans or ramen at the very least. As he pulled out the chopping board and a few tomatoes, he caught the sour look the prince was giving him, "What?" he asked, beginning to chop up the ingredients.

"Nothing," he replied, eyeing the red abomination with disgust in his face. "Just curious as to why you need to add those," he attempted to sound indifferent, but the underlying displeasure was more than a little obvious.

The adviser sighed as a scooted the pieces to the side and started on the second one, "I assure you, you won't even taste them."

"Doubtful," he grimaced when he saw a bit of juice squirt out of the next one, "I always can." He was ignored and they were dumped into a large bowl and he pulled out yet another unappreciated food: onion. "What, the tomato isn't bad enough?"

"Noct, if you aren't going to help or stop complaining, then you can just have a can of beans," he threatened, taking the knife from the onion to point it menacingly at the other. Silence. "That's what I thought. You have to get over that pickiness of yours sooner or later." He glanced over to the cat who sat somewhere a bit away from the prince, looking equally as uninterested in the preparation, "I swear, you have the eating preference of a feline." He grinned slightly, waiting for a reaction as he dumped the onion in with the tomatoes.

Satisfaction surged through him at the audible groan, "All of you, just give it a rest, will ya?" He heard a cushioned thud, assumedly from the other falling and burying himself in the sheets, a futile attempt to hide from the inevitable. The only other thing to be heard now was the tunes from outside and the subtle and soft purr to his right as their guest sat there and stared up expectantly.

"You can't be serious," Ignis sighed, "You just ate."

* * *

  
Throughout their meal, the adviser threw incredulous glances in the prince's direction each time he plucked a vegetable from his plate, grumbling with every one. This time, he chose to keep his comments to himself, but still smiled at the humor of it all; 'yup, just like a cat,' he thought as he took a bite of his own food. With everyone finished, Gladio gathered up the dishes, offering to do them for that night since he was feeling so helpful for a change, well helpful when it came to the cleaning aspect of things.

Ignis set to cleaning everything else up while the remaining two were tasked with getting their sleeping arrangements in order. Prompto began fanning out their sheet, flailing it to clear the excess air from underneath, and kept having to redo it when SOMEONE got in the way, "Noctis, come get your buddy, can't get this stuff straightened out when he constantly crawls underneath it," he waved a hand in its direction.

"Nu uh, you're the one that was all like, 'Come one dude, let it stay...it won't be that bad,' so now it's your problem."

"Just like you," he pursed his lips and flickered his attention between the two. "Both of you are gettin' on my nerves."

Noctis sighed heavily and tossed a pillow on on top of the disarrayed sheets, "We are nothing alike, and the sheet is good enough," he threw the other pillows to join the first before plopping down and rolling over to his side. "Yup, comfortable enough." He felt small shifts until the weight stopped at his side and lied there. Reaching out, his fingers brushed over the soft fluff of the small creature.

His brow furrowed at the laughter behind him, "Look at that, both can sleep anywhere as long as you fit," the blond chuckled. "I mean really, you can literally sleep anywhere; it doesn't matter. You sleep in the Regalia, at the diner's, you'd probably sleep during fights too if you could."

"Hate to break it to you, but that's far from true," he cut his eyes over with a yawn, stretching out his legs to rid them of their slight soreness from the day they've had. "Now be quiet, I'm exhausted."

For a moment, he had a bit of peace, which was rudely interrupted by the new form stalking over the bedding. He tried to ignore him as he drew closer, but the quiet mumbling prevented him from doing so, "And here," he began taking on the accent of some generic nature specialist, "We have the NyaNoct in it's natural habitat. Watch, as it disregards everything in order to get it's twenty hours of daily sleep."

"Will you shut up?" the gunner cried out and ducked to avoid the incoming pillow to his face.

"We've startled it!" he exclaimed, "This creature lashes out at the slightest jab at its pride," he laughed, rolling over to his back. "Gah!" he didn't see the second pillow until it was smacked firmly against his head, "Noct! Stop, it's not hunting season yet!" He flailed his arms in an attempt to escape, but in his current position, that was more than a little difficult. After a few more seconds, the offending object was finally yanked away, "Dang, ya tryna kill me?"

Noctis shoved the pillow back under his head, "No, just trying to get you to be quiet."

"Nah nah, I understand, your kind like it quiet and peaceful, it only makes sense," he sighed, "You need your ridiculous amount of rest in order to function properly." He turned onto his side with his back to the other, and already the light snores could be heard emitting form the prince, "And just like a cat, out in a matter of seconds," he whispered to himself, closing his own eyes and shifting to get comfortable. And, not quite as swiftly as the raven, but close to it, he was out, dead to the world.

Gladio put the last of the dishes away, trying to get things in the camper arranged in the manner it was as when they arrived. After wiping everything down, he stretched out the stiffness in his back with a grunt and careened his neck from side to side until a few pleasurable pops sounded out. He glanced over his shoulder to see the youngest two already out, slightly envious of their ability to fall asleep so quickly and easily. "Guess it's about time to join them," he checked the time to see it was almost eleven, "Hey, Iggy, anything else need taking care of, or are we good to go?"

Walking back in, rag in hand from wiping the table down, he took a quick look around, giving it a half-assed scan, "Everything appears to be in order. If not, we can just take care of it in the morning; it is getting rather late." He didn't want to admit it, but he was just as ready to call it a night, feeling the teasing caresses of slumber himself.

"Sounds like a good enough plan to me," Gladio groaned with yet another stretch, "I call dibs on the outside," he raised a hand, "Not dealing with Prom's late night clinginess." Ignis blinked heavily at that, knowing full well what he was in for, but didn't protest against it, after all, the shield did put up with it the last few nights. And, he guessed he could allow him this night of peace.

"Very well," he agreed, "I guess I'll take on that burden this time." And, with that settled, they turned off the lights and climbed into the makeshift bed, both of them finding sleep relatively quickly, though not quite as hastily as the other had of course.

* * *

  
The shield rolled over to his side, the first rays assaulting his eyes through still closed lids. And, as he moved, he felt an arm slowly slide off from around him. Knowing full well who it belonged to, he shoved the appendage to the side, not caring if the owner of it woke up or not. The sounds of Ignis preparing breakfast reached his ears, and reluctantly, he pried his eyes open, finding a bunch of golden hair in his vision. Groaning, he used the palms of his hands to gently roll the blond away and closer to Noctis. "Dammit, why can't you ever latch on to him," he mumbled, rubbing his blurry eyes.

"Good morning," came Ignis' normally calm voice, "Breakfast should be ready soon, so if you wouldn't mind waking the others up."

He smirked at the invitation, "Oh, it would be my pleasure." He took this as his opportunity to get his revenge, and with a lack of gentleness, he wrapped both arms around the blond, and yanked him close, "How's it feel?" he asked, tightening his grip when the struggles began.

"Ack!" he choked out, alarm hitting him like a truck, "What the-!" He calmed slightly when he realized it was Gladio, "Dude, what the hell!?" He squirmed a bit more, but quickly gave up when he realized it was no use, "Come on, let go, can't breathe," he gasped for air dramatically.

"As you wish," he complied and released his hold. He pushed himself up, making room for the kid to stretch out and collect himself after a less than ideal awakening. "Noct," he called, reaching over to jab at his side. That earned him a complaint and a swat, but not much more than that. "Come on, get your ass up already." He jabbed again, only a lot more roughly this time around.

Noctis tightened into a more condensed ball, "Knock it off," he grumbled, trying to pull the cover over his head, but the brute was already jerking it away, "Hey!" He turned his head to stare daggers at the man, "Really? Can't I get like five more minutes. It's too early for this." Next to him, his little comrade stretched out, stubbornly refusing to move as well.

"It's like having a second Noctis," Gladio muttered, scratching his head. Deciding to resort to drastic measures, he got to his feet and strolled over to the other side and proceeded to start pulling the sheet out from beneath them, "Better start getting up unless you wanna be dragged outside." That seemed to elicit some sort of reaction at least. Saying some incoherent nonsense under his breath, the prince made an effort to roll over to his back ad stare up at the ceiling. "Well, that's a start," he dropped the edge of the fabric, "Now to get the rest of the way up.

Noctis turned his head to the side, causing a few fringes of hair to fall into his face. Letting out an exaggerated whine, he brushed them aside, finding them more than a bit annoying. When they didn't stay right away, he licked the tips of his fingers and tried again. This time, he managed to get a little bit of it stay out of his way. "Really?"Gladio gazed down, "Even groom yourself like a damn cat."

"Wasn't grooming," he spoke up defensively, "Just getting stuff outta the way," he mumbled, fighting to keep his eyes open.

"Right," Gladio glanced towards the cat, who was now awake and busying itself with its personal cleaning. "Completely different."

The prince said nothing as he sat up hesitantly, still insanely groggy and slightly out of it, "Need a shower," he mumbled, running a hand through unkempt hair, "Bad," he added when he felt the slickness in it.

"Well, the ocean is the closest you're gonna get to that," Gladio reminded, causing him the scrunch up his nose at the thought. "What, afraid to get a little wet?"

"You know, I'd have to get wet to get a shower," he rolled his eyes and forced himself to get up. "Difference is, a shower doesn't have salt in it."

Prompto cracked an eye open, "It will if you get in." He missed the hostile look he was given.

"Just go take a dip, you'll get the same result. Besides, with hair coarse from salt water, no one will be able to tell if it's dirty or not," he shrugged, "Trust me, it works. Just give it a try."

"I'd rather not, I hate the feeling of it," he did his best to style his hair with his hands, doing what he could to get it somewhat presentable. As he worked on it, he glanced down and caught sight of the cat doing the same, swiping its paws over its had, and with a low and annoyed growl, he ceased the action, having enough of the comparisons, and really not needing a reason for them to make another connection. But, looking back over to each of them, he could read their faces clearly, "You know what, screw all of you." He turned around to scoop the feline up and headed for the door, "Imma go get cleaned up, and by the time I get back, I expect it all to be out of your systems."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If anyone has requests as well, feel free to leave a comment or PM me with what you want, or message on Tumblr (I go by the same name on there). I just ask that it's nothing x rated, but romance is still alright, and just know that I'm best with hurt/comfort, but it doesn't have to be that, can be just about anything. Also keep in mind that these are things I'll be doing in between chapters/stories of my own works, so they may take time, but I'll try my best to get to them eventually.
> 
> And I have this unspoken rule, that if I already wrote yours, then feel free to request another, but if your name is on the list, then it will have to wait until I get to your first one. Basically, just don't want the same name on the list more than once.
> 
> Queue as of now:
> 
> itsscrow  
cinqluna  
'Anonymous'  
'Anonymous2'  
Prompto_Cam  
'Anonymous3'  
Mirai Lianna  
Touched  
Musiclife1988  
Shiary  
ScribeOfRhapsody  
ellaygee  
Hollypopstop  
Kloudia1  
laurelilith  
Kestrealbird  
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Tabbys_desire  
the lazy one  
Crystal  
Ann


	12. Nothing Changes Who You Are

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompto finds out a bit more about himself as well as MTs than he'd like to, and the new discovery does not sit well with him when he tries to end it all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta read by: SinikkavonWolperting
> 
> Request for: itsscrow
> 
> And this got a lot more depressing than I had first intended; it kinda took a detour into feelsville.
> 
> WARNING: Contains a few Episode Prompto spoliers....so read with caution. XD

Steady, steady and precise; that was the way to go; well, his way to go anyway. Lifting his gun he aimed it perfectly, holding onto his wrist with his other hand to stifle the subtle wavering of it. Now was not the time he wanted his shot to go astray. With a silent prayer to himself, he pulled the trigger, the explosive sound filling his ears as the bullet raced towards its mark. He lowered his weapon and watched on to be certain it hit and gave a muted cheer when the MT went down; that was one less enemy Noctis had to worry about, him already close to being surrounded and all. "Alright, that's one down," he muttered, searching for another fairly safe target to take out. Preferably one that wasn't as risky as that one had been.

Prompto crouched back down; he'd stayed hidden this long, didn't wanna blow his cover just yet. Ducking into the shelter of the surrounding foliage, he circled around the ensuing battle, stalking around to try and get a better view of everyone. After getting half way around, he hesitated, catching the sound of something; it sounded like something was close, footsteps echoing his own. But, they seemed stunted somehow; unnatural and clunky.

Fear gripped him as realization settled in the pit of his stomach. "Dammit," he uttered between clenched teeth and spun around barely in time to avoid an ax to his neck. He fell backwards in his evasion, feet already working in carrying him back and away from his attacker. Though, it was a bit faster than he had remembered them being and was swiftly closing the gap. Either he could risk the time it took to get to his feet, or he could defend himself. Neither was a guarantee, but the latter seemed more plausible at the moment.

Without taking the time to aim properly, he just fired shots of consecutively with no attention or care given and just hoped they were enough. If the creaks and sparks were anything to go by, he assumed it did the trick and let out a sigh of relief as the ax man, now reduced to scrap metal, swayed forward, ax still held up. Gasping, he rolled to the side before his head had the chance to be split in two.

A morbid chuckle leaked form parted lips, pants as his heart calmed down replaced his normally collected breaths. "I swear, these things are just getting more advanced," he mumbled, sitting up and refusing to accept that one had managed to sneak up on him like that. Pushing himself up, he brushed himself off and went to take a step away, but was immediately halted in his walk.

"Wha-!" he glanced down, fingers were clasped around his ankle; the damn thing was still alive. Sparing no reluctance, he quickly turned his weapon on the things arm and let loose another five shots until he was able to rip his foot away, accidentally taking the hand with him. Before prying that away though, he made sure to finish it off this time with more chunks of metal to the head. This time, he was certain to watch until the light departed its eyes. He let out a huff of air and crouched to rid himself of the clinging limb.

Grasping the wrist, he gave it a solid tug, hard enough to knock some of its armor loose as it fell to the ground with a 'clank.' Prompto's eyes narrowed as he saw something peeking out from under the remaining coverings and his curiosity got the better of him. He could have sworn that looked like skin; but that couldn't be, these things were machines, right? Swallowing, he pulled the rest of the metal away and felt his heart drop; he felt sick. That was skin, these things, these monsters, were alive? Disgusted, he ripped it the rest of the way off and chucked it a couple feet away, where it rolled to a stop.

He watched until it settled, his breaths coming out heated and uneven. And, looking closer, there was something else; markings of some sort upon its wrist that looked oddly familiar. Not moving from his spot, he shifted his own wrist band and gazed down at his own code, hands shaking from his accelerating heart rate and spiking nerves. They were nearly identical; his code and that abomination's, they were the same. Terrified now, he stared back at his, vision wavering ever so slightly, "No, no, no, no," he repeated, feeling light-headed. He felt nauseous, like this had to be a dream or some sick and twisted game. It had to be something, he rejected the strong possibility of this being true.

"Hey Prom!" His gaze snapped up at the sound of Noctis' approaching voice, "I think we're all done here." In a panic, the blond leaped over and gave the hand a firm kick, knocking it back towards it owner, hoping it would now go unnoticed.

He took a few deep breaths, attempting to calm himself, "J-just a minute," he stammered, wincing at the shakiness in his words and knowing full well that little detail didn't go missed by the prince.

Those footsteps increased in pace just slightly, "Everything alright?" Prompto could now see his head over the top of the bushes.

"Yeah...everything, uh everything's fine," he still didn't sound convincing, so he tried something else, "Just a little, you know, startled?" He swallowed hard against the suffocating lump, "Had a bit of a run in, but it's all good now." berating himself internally, he stepped out of his hiding before they had the chance to come to him. "See, all good," he repeated, gesturing to himself with his left hand. He laughed nervously, "Uh, where are the others?"

Noctis jabbed a thumb back, "Gladio had a bit of a run in, so Ignis is taking care of that," he glanced up at the blond's face for the first time, seeing the lack of color in it, "Don't worry, it's nothing bad," he clarified, "Just a minor flesh would," he shrugged and turned around.

"Right," he replied, shaking his head, "Of course. The big guy wouldn't be that careless." As he followed, his left hand unwittingly drifted over his other wrist, his mind still stuck on what he saw. They had honestly been slaughtering...people...this whole time, and without even knowing it. He bit his lip to contain his deteriorating composure. This is something he was sure the others should know, but, what if they found out about his own. If that happened, surely they would cast him in the same category as them, brand him like the enemy he was. His fingers tightened around the mark; why did he have this damn thing?

He slowed to a stop when they reached the others, "Everything alright with you two?" Ignis asked, getting back to his feet as the shield slip his jacket back on; the only sign the he had been hit being a bit of red staining his torso.

"Everything is peachy with me," Prompto replied, with far more enthusiasm than necessary. "Still in one...piece," he blinked, trying to chase away the lingering images of that severed hand.

Ignis narrowed his eyes at the distance in his eyes, "Good to hear," he commented, "Well, if everything is in order, we should be getting on the search for a haven, it should be getting fairly dark soon, and I doubt we wish to get caught up in it." He pushed himself to his feet and held a hand out to the shield who swiftly refused it.

"I ain't crippled," he grunted, clapping his hands together. He staggered for only a fraction of a second and was quick to right himself, "See?"

"Indeed," the adviser pushed his glasses up, looking incredibly unamused. "Anyway, we should really get going," he cast another quick glance at Prompto's, he wanted to say, anxious demeanor.

The blond subtly cringed under the other's eye, feeling uncomfortable under his investigative watch; there was no way he'd be able to hide anything from him, not when he was as transparent as it got. Maybe he should tell them, he's sure they would understand; not like he made the choice himself, it's always been there after all. He never had problems with it; never had any murderous urges or less than kind thoughts. That was it, he'd have to tell them something, but there was still that inkling doubt the remained stubbornly embedded in the back of his mind. "Uh...guys..." he started; now or never.

"We've got more company," Gladio growled, turning his attention towards the sky. Prompto's words lost; drowned out by the engines hovering close by. Guess this would have to wait until later. Deep down, he was a bit relieved at the interruption, though it was only delaying the inevitable.

"Let's get this over with," Noctis sighed, "The last ones went down rather easily, so what's the big deal about a few more Nif puppets?" he chuckled lightly, summoning his blade again. Though he wouldn't openly admit it, the sound of that sent a stake through Prompto's racing and faltering heart. 'Puppet'. "You know the drill Prom," he glanced over to find him blankly staring off, "Hey," he placed a hand on his shoulder to get his attention, "Everything good?"

The blond blinked, "Yeah, I'm ready," he nodded and summoned his own pistol again, already running off to get away before the storm hit.

* * *

  
Noctis leaned over, catching his breath as he swiped a hand over his brow, "Alright, that was a bit tougher than last time," he didn't mention it, but he was sure there was less cover fire this time around. A few seconds later, Prompto was by his side, his arms folded over his chest as he stared down awkwardly at one of the fallen troops.

Both of their attentions snapped up as Gladio more than roughly kicked at one of their heads on the way over in a show of frustration, "Damn, these guys just don't know when to stop, do they?" He straightened himself up as he dismissed his weapon, "Swear, they're all the same, just wanting to get in our way and sabotage us; they don't seem to be too good at anything else." Prompto held his breath and looked down at the ground, he did have a point.

"If I recall correctly, I did have to use a potion on you earlier," Ignis commented, cutting his eyes over.

"That was nothing but a lucky hit," the shield defended, scratching the back of his head, "I was distracted."

The rest of the conversation became nothing more than white noise, falling into that of idle chatter as his brain buzzed with thoughts of what the hell he was. "Let's just go already," he finally spoke up, "I'm tired and really want to go to sleep early for once." He didn't make eye contact with any of them and simply kept his gaze low and walked by them, three sets of eyes watched his departing back intently.

"What's his problem?" Gladio asked, glancing at the other two, expecting an answer.

Noctis shrugged with a concerned look on his face, "Beats me," he sighed. "But you heard him, could just be tired." He doubted that, but he didn't feel like pestering the blond with questions. If he didn't wanna talk about it, then he wasn't going to make him, but he couldn't shake the fact that something was clearly up. Something had to have happened, he seemed perfectly fine and 'normal' before that first encounter, but as soon as it was over, it was like a continental shift in his behavior.

Luckily, they didn't have to walk long before finding a suitable place to crash for the night, and much to Noctis' delight, it just so happened to be near the bank of a lake. He smiled at the thought of getting to get some fishing in if he actually got up early enough for once. Maybe he'd be able to convince Ignis that they could all go for a day of relaxation and just stay there for the next day; no more walking around and fighting for at least a little while.

"Hey, princess," Gladio called, "Get your ass over here and help set things up." Rolling his eyes, the 'princess' painstakingly made his way over, taking more time than needed on purpose and out of spite. "Go get the fire start, Prompto and I have the tent going well enough.

"As you wish," he gave the shield a mocking salute and spun on his heel. He crouched down and began striking the match form the max that was left next to it. The first few were duds, causing him to grumble irritably under his breath; it wasn't until the fourth that it actually caught flame and he tucked it gently under the wood, praying that it would catch. "Come on," he muttered, smiling to himself when it slowly began to spread. Sitting by it, he held his hands closer as it slowly roared to life, the flames tasting the air at his fingertips.

The shield stepped back once the tent was erected and glanced over to Prompto, "Thanks, I guess I'm through with you for the time being." the blond only nodded and made no move yet, just stared at the finished product. "Is something botherin' ya, you've been a bit...out of it," he chose his words carefully.

"Yeah," he uttered, snapping his attention up, "Everything's good." He shifted his feet uncomfortable, "Imma go see if Ignis needs any help," he brushed by the other in his haste. 'Just wanting to get in our way and sabotage us,' ran through his mind. The idea that maybe he was just hindering them all; they were all better trained than him, all more experienced, and out of all of them, he would be the most likely to screw things up. What if he was just there to slow them down and he didn't even know it? What if the only reason h- "Ack!"

"Prom," Ignis greeted over his shoulder.

Prompto back up instantly, one hand already at the back of his neck, "Sorry about that, was a bit distracted," he chuckled, glancing away. "So, uh, need any help over here?" He stood on his tiptoes to peer over the adviser's shoulder, trying to appear as interested as possible.

"I suppose I could do with some assistance if you really want to," he stepped aside to provide more room for the younger, "Who knows, you might actually learn a thing or two while we're at it." He offered the other a soft smile and set to work with that night's meal; occasionally he would ask Prompto to hand him something, or stir something while he stepped away, but nothing that required too much effort. And, he genuinely feared that Ignis knew he'd screw it up if he did anything more than that. He probably would, no, he knew he would. "And that does it," his eyes drifted over to the finished result, and as always, it looked absolutely stunning.

They ate in silence; all of them feeling the burdens of that day finally soaking into them, pressing down on their spirits. Plus, without Prompto's usual cheerful buoyant disposition, the mood swiftly soured, turning into almost an unpleasant atmosphere. Ignis gathered all the clear plates, faltering slightly when grabbing Prompto's; his was the only one that still had quite a bit left on it, but he said nothing, not wanting to draw unwanted attention to it. Keeping a low profile on the matter, he scraped the remnants into the foliage; something was bound to come through and clean it up, so that wasn't a problem.

Once everything was cleaned up and in order, they made their way into the tent, Prompto took the inside, next to him was Noctis, and Ignis on the far outside. They found this order to be the easiest on a count on Ignis was always awake first, so he wouldn't have to climb over anyone. The gunner simply lied there, staring at the back of the tent, even when an hour passed, he stared. When two hours passed, he lied there. And, when the snores of the others filled the small area, he remained in that position. He almost felt nothing anymore at this point; his mind having ran in circles for the majority of the day had exhausted his ability to concentrate on any emotion.

He had closed his eyes long ago, tried to will himself to sleep, convince his body that it was priority, but the rest of him denied him such a luxury. It was driving him insane; he needed to go for a walk, anything to get out of the confines of this suffocating shelter. He sat up, and slowly crept down to the end with everyone's feet as he carefully crawled around them, pausing momentarily when Gladio shifted in his sleep. Holding his breath, he waited for the brute to settle once more before venturing forth.

Eventually, he made it out, and glancing back it didn't seem like he had disturbed anyone in the process. Prompto rose to his feet stretching out his back and legs and quietly put some distance between him and the others. A breath of fresh air, and he already felt a little more at ease, though not nearly enough to return back to the tent. He needed time, he needed a walk, anything refreshing. As he walked, his eyes kept unconsciously flickering to the lake as the lights from the moon and stars reflected off its surface, catching his attention every so often.

He stopped, and with slow and precise steps, approached the edge of it and watched the small ruffles along its surface; it was actually quite relaxing and peaceful, lulling in a sense. Without thinking, he took a step out into it, the water instantly soaking into the bottom of his pants leg, but he didn't care and took another step. It felt rather nice, the soothing kiss of her waves and the taunting caress of her light currents. He stared off towards the center of the body, and in the moment, he just wanted to go out there to it, to be surrounded by the tentative embrace.

Before he was aware of what he was doing, he was waist deep, wading through as he stepped deeper in; yet, he still didn't want to stop, the feeling of it was too inviting. Soon, his shoulders were submerged and by this point he switched to swimming, finding this to be much easier and quicker, but it was tiring and exhausting. Though, the comfort he found in being out there was enough of a reward for the efforts it required. After a few minutes, he finally thought about looking over his shoulder and found himself a good distance from the campsite and confusion hit him as to what he was doing out here. In the middle of the night.

He shook his head and glanced around him; there was nothing to be seen out here, it was so quiet and enticing. And, he didn't want to go back; he didn't want to have to deal with going back, with eventually telling them what he found out or what it meant. He didn't want to know what it entailed. It would be much easier if it just all went away, away and no longer an overbearing headache. And out here, there was nothing objecting against it; if anything, it seduced him closer. His limbs slowed down, no longer working to keep him in place and, holding his breath, he swam down. Forced himself to keep swimming farther, refusing to stop until his lungs begged to push the air out.

The depth becoming something of little priority, he swam until he reached the bottom, and the need to breathe was now gripping his chest painfully. In a moment of realization, his heart pulsed and fear replaced his previous reverie. This was insane, it was stupid, and it was a damn mistake; he needed to get out of here. With crushing panic, he paddled himself back towards the surface, which now looked to be so far out of reach. 'No, no, no,' he repeated internally as his chest burned and pleaded. His heart plummeted when his body was almost jerked to a halt, something latching around his left ankle and fastening him to the bottom.

He struggled against it, his mind racing and picturing nothing but that damn hand clasped around him, dragging back down; pulling him closer to darkness...closer to death, to the unknown, to the end of everything he's known to be his life. He wasn't ready for this. He tugged against his binding in frantic desperation, growing worn out be the second. 'Gun,' he thought, mentally slapping himself; he summoned it, his fingers barely holding on to it as the strength fled them, and with rapid shots, fired downward. After the last shot, he felt the grip around him fall away, freedom now returned to him.

But, there was no way, this was impossible. The surface was too far from him and his vision was swiftly swarming with obscurity and he knew he wouldn't be able to hold his breath much longer. Everything was cramping up and his head was swimming with dizziness; and that was it, he couldn't do it. His body acted on its own, no longer allowing him control and took in an involuntary breath. He gasped, and he knew this was it, this was the nail in his coffin. He could feel it, his limbs growing heavy, his lungs filling with fiery regret, and he was alone. As his vision started to fail him, he thought maybe it was for the best that the others wouldn't know, maybe they'd think he just left.

Everything hurt, moving was sluggish agony, and he just wanted to go to sleep and pretend this wasn't happening. Lucky for him, he didn't have to try this time; this time sleep was coming to him instead of the other way around. Soon, there was no more pain, nothing ached anymore and it felt almost peaceful, like floating away endlessly. He let his eyes slide shout and allowed himself to be carried away; his arms had long since given out, unable to pull him along anymore. The only thing he worried about now was whether or not the others would be hurt by his disappearing.

Faintly, he felt something wrap around his waist and could sense himself being lifted, and for a moment his muddled mind knew for a fact that he was dying, that he was now leaving his physical form. But, that couldn't be right, he still felt tired. Death can't feel tired. He pried his eyes open, a demanding and burdensome task, to gaze to the thing that carried him. Well, he could make at a human shape, that's for sure; and tattoos...and dammit he could almost place it. Then they turned to look at him, and he realized. 'Gladdy,' he mouthed, momentarily forgetting that he was underwater and unable to speak. Again, his sight was wavering and promised to go out altogether, but not before he could feel them break through the surface.

He heard voices, shouting and calling, and he was sure they were calling out to him, but focusing was too difficult and everything was starting to hurt and ache again. A dull throb took over his body, spreading out to every appendage. And soon enough, it all started dissipating again; this time though, he didn't sober back up and simply drifted off.

* * *

  
His throat burned, everything did, but that one part was the worst of it and he coughed against it. It felt as thought something was lodged from there all the way down and it wouldn't budge. He coughed again, and this time he felt a pressure on his chest, a firm and painful one. The fire rose in his chest, scorching him on the inside all the way up until he choked on it. Something came up, he couldn't tell what it was, but it burned and brought a fresh wave of pain with it. His body naturally heaved, expelling more of whatever it was. And, once it was rid of it, he involuntarily gasped, his body soaking in the oxygen that it craved.

He didn't dare try and move yet, or do anything for the matter; he only focused on taking deep and needed breaths as feeling flooded back into his body, which he really wish it hadn't. After a moment, after the ringing subsided enough, he could hear his own raspy inhales and shuddering exhales. Another cough and he felt more of the liquid splutter out, and immediately afterwords, he was turned on his side, allowing most of what was left to flow out. There was a warmth next to him, chasing away some of the chill that resided rooted deep within, and forcing an eye partly open, he could make out the orange hues...fire.

"Prom?" he heard his name, but it was as if he were hearing it through a bubble; it was warped and misplaced. And, he really didn't feel like answering right now, maybe later when he didn't feel like death. There was a presence on his back, supposedly making sure he remained on his side, but it was more than welcomed and reassuring. "Take your time," he whispered before mumbling off to the side to someone else.

Slowly, things were coming together, the flames were solidifying into something recognizable and his breathing was finally evening out and becoming less strenuous. He opened his mouth to speak, "Ho-" the action instantly brought forth a minor coughing fit, sending stabs through his chest.

"Easy," the person behind him muttered, which he could now make out as Ignis. His free hand wrapped around his shoulders enough to lift him slightly as something was slid underneath him, something soft. It felt nice, a pleasant change from the roughness of the ground anyway. "Just nod if you can hear me." Prompto complied, trying to cut his single open eye over, wanting to see the other's face. The adviser sighed in relief, "I don't know what the hell you were thinking, but don't you dare ever do something so careless again." He didn't sound angry per se; in fact, the blond could still make out concern in those words.

He blinked a few times, vision still trying to blur, "So-ry," his voice broke. Taking a deep breath, he tried to hold it for a moment before releasing it, and at that time, he heard another pair of footsteps approach.

"Here," it was Noctis, and he felt Ignis lean slightly to the side as something else soft was draped over him. "Is he alright?" he crouched down next to Ignis to look upon his still trembling form.

The cover was pulled up higher over Prompto's body, "Yes, he'll be fine, he wasn't unconscious for long, which is a good sign." His slender fingers brushed some of the plastered hair from his face, revealing the fairly pale features underneath, "But, if no one had woken up..." he didn't finish that thought, "Let's just be thankful Gladio got to him quickly."

Prompto's eyes shot open with the memory of that, and they quickly darted around and finally searched out the shield himself. He was sitting on the other side of the fire, staring through it straight at the gunner; his gaze unreadable. He nodded to the man, hoping that would suffice enough as a thanks for the time being; he'd give him a more proper one later. "Prompto," Ignis pulled his attention back, "Let me know when you're ready to talk, I believe there's some explaining to be done." He hummed in reply, feeling drained as merely staying awake was nearing impossible now. "Try to rest for now though, there's plenty of time to talk about it," he promised. Again, the blond nodded as the flames dimmed and sound muffled into a jumble of nothing.

The next time he awoke, there was a lot less pain throbbing through him, but he still felt groggy and exhausted. And, carefully opening his eyes, he found his surroundings to be different from what they were before falling asleep; he was back in the tent. And, with a quick look around, he found himself alone in there. Not that he was complaining. His head was pounding and he felt sick, and his chest...it felt like it had caved in at some point. Turning over, he groaned with the ache throughout him as his face scrunched up. "You sure slept long enough," he jolted with the sound, having not expected it and shot his attention over.

"Noct?" he croaked, trying to sit up, but unable to push himself up passed a few inches. He quickly gave up and settled back down, "Wh're the others?"

The prince nodded towards the opening of the tent, "Just outside," he answered simply. "So, Prom, what exactly were you doing out there?" Straight to the point. The blond didn't answer and sheepishly averted his gaze. "Prompto," he repeated, more sternly, "Answer the question."

"I...I dunno," he cleared his throat, which was burning with a raw force, "I was...it just happened."

"Bullshit, that doesn't 'just happen'. Gladio pulled you out of there half dead from the bottom of that lake!" he unintentionally raised his voice, pent up worry and fear finally rearing its head. "Almost drowning isn't something that 'just happens'. Dammit, Iggy had to struggle just to get you to breathe again. Do you realize what it was like seeing that?" He was breathing heavily from his own racing pulse, "Now tell me, what were you doing out there?"

The blond met that demanding twilight stare, boring into him in their quest for answers, "To get away," he uttered, looking away, "To get away from everything. But, I-I didn't want to go through with it."

"Coulda fooled me."

Prompto flinched at the bitterness in his voice, "I'm sorry, I didn't...I didn't mean to-" he gasped and turned towards the sound of someone else entering.

"Hey," Gladio greeted, freezing awkwardly as both sets of eyes settled on him. "Wanted to check up, make sure you were sill...alive and all," he took a seat on the other side of the blond, "Look, I don't know why you were out there, but if you were trying to off yourself, it was fucking stupid. Sorry, but I had to say it." He grunted and rubbed the back of his neck, "So, was that your plan?"

He swallowed against his fluttering nerves, now feeling light-headed for a different reason, "At first I was," he answered honestly, in time for Ignis to position himself in the threshold, "But, I couldn't do it, I couldn't go through with it." His tone was flat, lacking emotion as he relayed those moments, "I was thinking, I just went," he shrugged. "But, by tha' time I was deep enough and ch-ckened out, it was too late, and I...I was stuck," his voice was swiftly wearing out, breaking every other word. "I thought...thought I was really d-ne for," his focus was stuck to the ceiling, not wanting to see the look any of them may have been giving him.

"Why?" Gladio asked simply.

Prompto shook his head, "If you tell you g-ys, you'll probably kill me you-selves."

"Try me," Noctis folded his arms and narrowed his eyes, waiting for what he knew was about to be good.

The blond visibly struggled, his shifting eyes looking borderline panicked and his anxiety picked up, "Well, it's...it's about those MTs...I saw something." The others gave him a confused look, waiting for him to continue. Coughing lightly, he closed his eyes, "They...the-'re- I think they're h-man."

Ignis furrowed his brow, "Did you say human? Are you sure you saw that right?" Prompto nodded, tightening his mouth into a straight line.

"Even if that's true," Gladio went on, trying to ignore that part, "Why try to end it?" He really just wanted a straight answer, and right now it felt like he was avoiding the question.

This is the part he dreaded, the part that would brand him as an enemy and an outsider, and even after all this, he still wasn't prepared for this. But, it was now or never, they were here, waiting for the thing that drove him to such lengths, and there was no avoiding it anymore. He'd never know for sure if he didn't just get it over with. Clearing his mind, and trying not to think about it, he reached over to his right wrist, and ripped the band off for them to see what resided underneath. "There," he choked out, "take a look." For too long, no one said anything. "Well?" he nearly growled, "Go ahead already, say somethi-g!" his breath hitched and his eyes stung. "Please..." His eyes flew back open and snapped onto the hand covering his wrist.

"And?" Noctis asked, "You think that's enough to kill yourself over?" He gave a small ad warm smile, "That means nothing, it's a superficial mark."

"Bu- it's the same...the same as them," he scraped out, "I'm no better than those puppets," he spat, barely holding it together now. "I'm one of them, and I-I don't know why...don't know what I am," he bit his lip to keep it from quivering.

Ignis sighed, "That should be obvious," he spoke matter-of-factly, "You're a comrade, I thought you already knew that." Prompto felt cold, a chill running through him as his throat and chest constricted, "I don't know what you were expecting, but that makes no difference."

"What specs said," Noctis agreed, "You think we care about some damn mark? We didn't know about it before and knowing about it now doesn't change a thing. You're still you, aren't you?"

Gladio breathed deeply before throwing in his two cents, "And if you're concerned about being like them, it should be clear that's a dumb thing to worry about. The difference between you and them is everything, alright?" He pushed himself up with a grunt, "And the fact that you were thinking of taking care of a problem before it could become one should make that clear. But, that doesn't mean you should go off and try it again." He fixed the blond with a dead serious stare, "You do that, and I promise, I will kill you myself."

"I hate to resort to violence on an ally, but I feel inclined to second that," the adviser grinned at him.

"And I'll just beat the ever loving hell outta you," Noctis spoke up.

Prompto nodded, "Noted," he laughed under his breath, finding it better than crying, "I don't know why I expected anything different. Sometimes, I feel like I don't deserve you guys." He returned the smile, "Thanks, guys, really. I promise, it won't happen again," He lifted his hand enough to gaze at the code, and with a deep breath, placed it over his chest, not bothering to hide it anymore.

"You should get some more rest," Ignis suggested, "Besides, I'm sure Noctis wouldn't mind getting some fishing in, he was staring at it like a kid in a candy store when we arrived."

He didn't have to be told twice, he was already drifting off again; the expelled emotions and burdens leaving him depleted and worn. He closed his eyes, listening to the idle chatter of the others as they exited one by one, talking among themselves, and it felt like any other time. Maybe they were right, perhaps nothing did change; it sure felt the same. Noctis' complaining about something Gladio said, and Ignis' lecturing the both of them set him at ease. Exactly the same, everything was exactly the same as it's always been.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If anyone has requests as well, feel free to leave a comment or PM me with what you want, or message on Tumblr (I go by the same name on there). I just ask that it's nothing x rated, but romance is still alright, and just know that I'm best with hurt/comfort, but it doesn't have to be that, can be just about anything. Also keep in mind that these are things I'll be doing in between chapters/stories of my own works, so they may take time, but I'll try my best to get to them eventually.
> 
> And I have this unspoken rule, that if I already wrote yours, then feel free to request another, but if your name is on the list, then it will have to wait until I get to your first one. Basically, just don't want the same name on the list more than once.
> 
> Queue as of now:
> 
> cinqluna  
'Anonymous'  
'Anonymous2'  
Prompto_Cam  
'Anonymous3'  
Mirai Lianna  
Touched  
Musiclife1988  
Shiary  
ScribeOfRhapsody  
ellaygee  
Hollypopstop  
Kloudia1  
laurelilith  
Kestrealbird  
Snow  
mabver321  
MasterThiefWolf  
Tabbys_desire  
the lazy one  
Crystal  
Ann  
'Anonymous4'


	13. Frazzled Protectors

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When a simple competition between the groups youngest two goes horribly awry, the others, or more so Ignis, loses their cool just a bit. C:

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta read by: SinikkavonWolperting
> 
> Request for: cinqluna
> 
> Ok, so quick note, I'll just say it right now, I am not well informed AT ALL when it comes to how all this real medical stuff works, like I am seriously the most ignorant. I try to do research on everything, but when it comes to the medical terms and all that jazz, I just don't even know how to start with it, so please correct me on any of this.

Gladio hummed in approval as he got to his feet and brushed his hands off, "And that's what I call perfect," he folded his arms to gaze upon his own craftsmanship, scanning over the tent top to bottom and nodded, "Hey Iggy, how much longer until you finish up, I'm starving." He glanced over his shoulder as the man was still setting out his equipment.

"Be patient, it's still daylight out," he sighed, looking up to the sky, "I won't start anything until the sun starts to go down." He removed his glasses and began swiping his shirt over the lenses, "Not to mention the other two are still off doing whatever it is they're doing."

"Did they mention where they were going?" Gladio asked, running a hand through damp hair, clearing his face of loose strands. He glanced around for a few moments as if he'd somehow catch sight of the two of them.

Ignis sighed in irritation, "Do they ever mention to us when they run off?" he asked rhetorically, "As far as I know, they could be half across the country by now." He brushed his hands together once his glasses were back on his face and scanned the camp over once more, "But, they certainly weren't of any use here, guess they'll be the ones to clean and pack everything up," he muttered under his breath. He pulled out his phone and typed out a quick message to the prince himself, 'I do hope you aren't off doing anything foolish; I expect the BOTH of you to be back before it gets dark,' and sent. "I'm certain they'll be back soon enough." Glancing back up at Gladio, his phone went off in his hand, pulling his attention back to it, his eyebrow twitching as he read the reply.

"What is it?" the shield asked, catching sight of the adviser's less than amused expression. "Are you really surprised?" he questioned reading the short, 'Yes, mom.'

Ignis stuffed the device away with a scoff, "That prince needs to be taught some respect," he muttered, ignoring the other's chuckling, "Honestly, to address me as such." Strolling over, he took a seat in one of the chairs circling the unlit fire and leaned forward, elbows on his knees, "Always so reckless."

* * *

  
"Found another!" Prompto called out triumphantly, shoving the sparkling container in the air above his head for the other to witness it, "And I believe that makes two for me, and how many for you?" he questioned with a sly grin on his face.

Noctis stood from his crouched position to victoriously hold up three of the bottles for the other to see, "And, I think I win," he shrugged, putting them away. "You know what that means," he smiled, putting them away.

"Yeah, yeah, you win, guess I won't get the privilege of trying out that sweet sweet magic," he drew out, trying to sound as pitiful as possible, "Nope, never gonna get to see what's so great about it...oh well."

"Hey, a bet's a bet." He checked his phone when it buzzed in his pocket and rolled his eyes at the name before quickly replying, "Specs," he answered the blond's unasked question. "We should probably head back soon before the man pops a gasket," he groaned. Giving the area one last scan, he finally figured out which way they came from and set down it, the gunner close behind.

Not two minutes in and Prompto was already over exaggerating, "Dude, we're lost, just admit; we've been wandering around for years. We're totally gonna die out here," he hung his head low as he complained, looking absolutely defeated.

"Will you shut up already?" Noctis asked, but not harshly, "It hasn't even been five minutes, I think you'll live."

Prompto groaned audibly again, "And, I think you give me too much credit sometimes; you know, I really thi-"

"Shh," The prince slapped a hand over his mouth, cutting him off into a chorus of muffles, "I said be quiet," he repeated, gravity in his voice which persuaded the blond to comply as he turned his head to listen for whatever it was Noctis was hearing. "You hear that don't you?" he asked, nodding towards some particularly thick foliage. "Something's there," he clarified, summoning his blade in one hand as he inched towards it; the other close behind with his own weapon in hand.

As he approached closer, Prompto took to circling around, ensuring that whatever it was lurking wouldn't go unnoticed. Whatever was there had to be large as the bushes shifted noisily and dramatically. He aimed the gun directly at it while Noctis readied his sword to swing down at a moment's notice. Nodding in the other's direction, he slowly inserted his blade, trying to disturb the creature and expose itself.

Both jumped back, a startled cry leaving one of them as something leaped out, but they were a bit embarrassed to see nothing more than a young garula; it couldn't have been more than a month old. "What?" Prompto looked utterly confused as the creature ran off, "Why is it alone?" he wondered aloud,"They don't normally wander off like that, do they?"

"Beats me," Noctis replied, not really sure himself, "Guess it just got separated somehow; I'm sure it'll find it's way back," he shrugged. As the words passed his lips, he became aware of another sound, one quite different from the shuffling of that first beast; it was one that sent a chill down his spine. It sounded like something...devouring something; the sounds and noises of squelching met him with a disgusting realization as he gazed a bit further off. "Prom, we need to go," he warned, hand wrapping around the blond's wrist.

"Why, what's going o-" he started to ask, but shut his mouth once he saw what Noctis was staring at. A coeurl...a large one at that, feasting on what looked to be an adult garula; most likely the reason as to why that other one was left alone. "Oh," he swallowed thickly, the severity of the situation settling in.

Prompto took a tentative step back, seeing as he was the closest, and one after another, slowly put more distance between them. He jumped at the 'snap' that echoed off the trees, and he was painfully aware of the mistake he just made as he felt the pieces of wood beneath his foot. "Shit," he muttered a moment before he heard the growls and the snarl as the creature turned to face him. His heart thrummed against his chest and his eyes locked onto the beast; what the hell was he supposed to do?

Placing both hands in the air, he glanced towards the prince, who seemed to be doing the same as him; subtly stepping away. One more step back, and his heart dropped as it pounced; and caught off guard, he barely had time to evade, but it was enough to avoid any serious damage. Though, he still felt the searing pain erupt in his side. "Prompto!" Noctis called out to him, but the gunner quickly waved a hand, signaling that he was alright. He pushed himself off the ground, his side protesting profusely against the movement, but he couldn't stay down like that.

"N-Noctis," he stuttered through the pain, looking straight at the feline as it continued to prowl around him in circles. He staggered on his feet, left hand gripping the wound. And, as he thought it might leap again, a flash of blue effectively rid him of that immediate danger. "Dammit," he swore, ripping his hand away to star down at the red coating it, it was a lot more than he expected. His head snapped up at the sudden cry, "Noct!" He shoved his discomfort aside to run to his fired, who he had just watched slump down the trunk of a tree like a rag doll. Fear being his main driving force, he trained his gun on the coeurl's body, taking only a second to aim before firing a few shots.

Well, it got the attention off the prince at least, but he hadn't thought this completely through it seemed. Already, his vision was waning from the blood loss and Noctis still hadn't moved from his spot. Swearing under his breath, he didn't know what else to do, so he just kept shooting, each one hitting its mark, but not doing much to hinder the beast. He backed away as he let loose the barrage, but he swiftly lost his footing and felt himself falling backwards followed quickly by a weighted presence pinning him down.

He grit his teeth as he felt those powerful paw crushing down on him, slowly pressing down harder until he was sure something had to have given out under its immense weight. His breath caught in his chest, no longer able to breathe from the compression. Before consciousness fled from him completely, he was aware of a faint blue emitting from behind it, but with his sight altered as it was, it was hard to tell if he was actually seeing anything or not. But, if the shattering sounds and flashes had anything to do with it, he'd be willing to take a guess that it was real, and it was the prince himself. 'Good,' he thought, that meant he was alive and kicking at least. He didn't get a chance to be certain though, soon everything dimmed out and he was swallowed up by both the pain and the darkness.

* * *

  
Gladio had fallen deep into his own reading long ago, falling quiet and absorbed in the pages before him as he idly turned yet another page. He had his feet kicked up in one of the empty seats, much to the brunet's dismay, but he said nothing about it, not that it would have made a difference if he were to. Instead, he kept his eyes fixed on the horizon, watching as the sky slowly started to change hues and his mood changed with it. "This is taking them too long," he whispered, taking out his phone to check the time again."

"Just call them already," Gladio suggested, never taking his eyes away from his book, "Sitting there worrying isn't gonna do anything."

Ignis reached for his phone and held it in his hands, staring down at it as he debated doing just that. He bit his lip, of course he wanted to know that everything was alright, but then again, he didn't want to hear Noct's teasing at how protective and overbearing he was; he's had quite enough of that as it were. And, to make it worse, Prompto had even began to adapt that way of referring to him. No, he refused to give the both of them yet another reason to poke fun, at least for the time being; but, if there was still no sign by the time evening hit, he'd step in.

He was about to replace the device when a familiar light caught his attention and he felt a chill run down his spine; his heart felt like it had solidified as his blood ran cold. "Gladio," he uttered, body moving on its own and carrying him towards that location, "We have to go, get up." From the seriousness in his tone, the shield didn't ask questions and followed the man. His own chest clenched at the concern the other man bore. "That was Noctis' armiger, I have no doubt about it. Something's wrong," he needlessly voiced.

"Yeah," Gladio agreed, not sure what else to say other than that. The only thing he focused on was hurrying up and getting to them as soon as possible. He knew full well he didn't use that unless things were bad, unless something went terribly wrong and his life was in danger. To his surprise, Ignis was actually managing to stay ahead of him, and he was nearly going at his full speed. "Which way did you see it?"

"Straight ahead," the brunet breathlessly answered, expertly navigating through the trees and shrubbery. He wasn't sure how long he was running, everything blurred from his near panic and growing apprehension. But, he came to an abrupt halt as he finally came across something that made him feel rather ill.

The brute stepped past him to inspect it for himself; it was a dead garula, a decent sized one at that, and it had been absolutely shredded by something. "Son of a bitch," he muttered, nudging the carcass with his foot, "If the thing that did this went after them..." he trailed off, not wanting to even finish that thought. "Let's just find them," he brushed by Ignis, scanning around only momentarily before his gaze landed one of what he was looking for.

"Prompto?" he whispered towards the still form of the blond, lying on his back and only the labored rise and fall of his chest gave any indication that he was still alive. He stepped over, his footfalls light and precise as if the slightest outburst would startle him. Falling to his knees next to him, his hands hovered over his torso, just above the subtly spreading stain on his side, and he didn't need to look closer to see the severity of it. "Hey, you with me bud?" he asked, gently patting his face, getting no response. "Ignis, you go look for Noct, I got him."

He didn't need to be told twice before he set out in his search, calling out his name, not caring how desperate he may have sounded. "Noct!" he shouted, rounding the other side of the foliage and stumbling across his charge. "Your Highness," he whispered, clumsily kneeling at his side to gently lift his head up; his hand drifted over something wet and warm on the back of his head and that frozen pit was back in his stomach.

Ignis removed his own jacket to press against the back of the raven's head, and it wasn't until then that he could heard the rattled and shallow breaths. Not wasting time, he peeled his shirt up and flinched at the deep bruising across his chest, and there was no doubt in his mind that at least a couple ribs had to be cracked if not broken. He glanced a few feet away at the small jerk he saw, and there it was, there was their culprit. It was barely hanging on by a thread, it's body almost completely mutilated, and he knew it wouldn't live much longer.

"We need to get them out of here," he heard Gladio speak hastily, "They need professional help," he didn't hesitate before scooping the blond in his arms, and even in his unconscious state, received a small moan of discomfort. Glancing back down, he knew the kid was far too pale, not to mention he felt cool to the touch. From that, he could plainly tell there was more wrong than that gash on his side, sure it was bleeding a bit, but not enough to cause him to worsen this quickly. "How's Noct?" he asked, taking the lead, heading in a different direction from the camp as he wanted the quickest route to the Regalia.

Ignis hummed a sound of uncertainty, "I'm not sure, but his head is bleeding and I'm fairly positive there is some damage to his ribs." His arms tightened around the young man in his arms, trying to keep him steady and from jarring from his near run. "But, his breathing isn't normal, I fear there's a nicked lung or something," he blurted out, contrasting highly from his normally collected tone. "But, it is still strong enough for the time being," he added, needing some sort of reassuring news, knowing that Gladio needed it as well.

The journey back went by in an arduous fog, neither of them uttering another word until they were feet from the car, and only because the question arose of how they were going to do this. Gladio had suggested them calling an ambulance or something, but Ignis was dead set on driving there himself, not wanting to have to wait for them to arrive. Explaining where they were would have taken enough time as it were, and he knew exactly where he was going. "This is faster," he kept insisting, refusing to talk about it further as he gently lied Noctis in the passenger seat after Gladio had persisted he stay in the back with Prompto.

Before the shield could even get his own seat belt on completely, Ignis had the vehicle gradually accelerating, avoiding speeding right off the bat for fear of jostling them too much. He kept a watchful eye on the prince while simultaneously staying observant to their surroundings; the last thing they needed right now was an accident, the ramifications of such a mess up being astronomical. The shield, on the other hand, kept all of his attention on on the blond, watching that falter inhale and exhale until something changed, and not for the better. A small splutter, and red trailed down from the corner of his mouth.

"Iggy," he called in a panic, "I don't mean to rush, but you think you can step on it," he reached over to look under his shirt now, much in the same manner the adviser had with Noctis, and found his torso in about the same condition. Only difference was, his bruising was decorating the center of his abdomen. "Great," he muttered.

"What's wrong," the brunet questioned, hearing the alarm in the other's word.

Gladio shook his head for a moment and grunted, "I think it's internal bleeding," he lowered the fabric back down gently, and eased the blond closer on his lap, wanting to keep him close should anything else change before they arrived. He only looked away occasionally to gaze ahead of them farther down the road, praying to see some sign of civilization soon; Gods knows they didn't have a tremendous amount of time to spare.

* * *

  
He was almost unaware of the fact that they finally arrived at a hospital, his attention too absorbed into keeping an eye on the blond and an occasional flicker to Noctis. He hadn't been focusing as much on the prince seeing as Ignis had been the one mostly taking on that responsibility during the trip.

The shield waited in the Regalia with the both of them while Ignis went in to get the staff alerted, and he moved seemingly on autopilot as they came out, gurneys and all, quick to take the both of them away to leave both him and the brunet stunned and to themselves. Each of them took a turn in looking themselves over, at the blood that stained both of them as well as the interior of the car, and neither could speak a word as they stood there in shocked silence. Now that the adrenaline had dissipated, they were left shaken and at a loss.

"Let's...let's wait inside," Ignis offered, noticing for the first time how dark it was.

"Yeah," Gladio replied, waiting for the other to head in first. He followed the man to the first waiting room they came across, unsure if their unsteady legs could take them much further than that without dropping them to the floor. They swiftly lowered themselves side by side. The larger of the two leaned his head back against the wall, arms crossed as he stared up at the grayish ceiling.

He glanced over to the other as he fiddled his thumbs together, a nervous habit of his that he usually kept under control, "I knew something was wrong," he muttered, barely heard, "I should have gone after them sooner, or kept a better eye on them and prevented them from running off to their own reckless behavior."

"Iggy," he pulled his attention up from the floor, "You know damn well it wouldn't have done any good; they're both too hardheaded to think about anything before doing it." Ignis said nothing and removed his glasses to run a gloved hand over his face and took a deep breath. "Trying to figure out how you could have prevented it is just gonna stress you out even more."

"I need coffee," he uttered, pushing himself up stiffly to head towards the machines.

Gladio sighed, "Ignis. You need to calm down."

His hands shook slightly as he pressed the button to dispense his beverage, "I am calm," he said tightly, "As calm as I can possibly be." His hand gripped a bit too tightly, causing the paper cup to crumple under the pressure as the heated liquid spilled over. "Dammit," he grit out, chucking it away to grab a new one.

"Just take a seat, I'll get it for you," the shield offered, not wanting to see him falter like that again, knowing it had to have stung his pride. Not that he seemed to care about trivial things such as that at the given moment. He was thoroughly ignored as the man continued to fumble with the machine, obviously getting more frustrated by the second, "Ignis!" he shouted louder than he should have, earning a few offended stares from other visitors. "Pull yourself together," he whispered when he got close enough to keep this private, "I understand you're worried; I am too, but you need to settle the hell down."

The adviser stood there for a moment, letting those words sink in and eventually took his hands away from the cup and the button, "I'll settle down once I know they're alright," muttered, heading back to his seat to continue his earlier habit. Sighing, the brute picked up where the other had left off and finished filling the half full drink and carefully brought it back with him.

"Here," he offered, tone completely changed, "It's hot." Probably didn't need to tell him that, but it was instincts.

"It's been too long," Ignis looked down into the contents of his cup and watched the ripples run through it, "They still haven't come back with any news," his foot began tapping as well as his fingers against the surface of his coping substance.

"We haven't been here that long," Gladio reminded, looking at the clock that read eight at night, "Twenty minutes at the most."

He bit his lip, "You'd think they could at least tell us what's going on," he retorted bitterly and impatiently. "An update, anything. Making us sit here and wait without so much as a word." He removed one hand from his cup to run through his hair, "I just need to know something."

The moment those words left his mouth, someone approached them, clipboard firmly in hand, "Excuse me," he got there attention, "Are you the two that brought in the males with side and head injuries?" He phrased awkwardly, unsure of what to call anyone. They both nodded, Ignis getting to his feet to step closer to the man, almost like he had a gravitational pull.

"What's going on?" he got right to the point, not wanting to waste time on introductions or anything for that matter.

The man nodded and flipped through his papers, "Right, well the blond-"

"Prompto," the brunet swiftly corrected before the man could get the full word out.

"Prompto," he said stiffly, "Deep gash to the right side which will be in need of stitching; he's lost a lot of blood, so a blood transfusion will be necessary," he glanced away as if to quietly apologize for the next part. "And, there is a bit of internal bleeding, which of course will require surgery to correct."

Ignis nodded quickly, taking it all in, but feeling dread run through him at the same time, "And the other?" he avoided calling Noctis by name, not wanting to draw attention to who he was.

"His injuries aren't quite as severe," he started off with, hoping to drain some of the tension, "But, he did sustain a moderate concussion, and a few broken ribs, which will also require surgery to mend," his eyes flicked back down to the charts a few times before looking back up, "They should be sent to the O.R. shortly; if you have any questions, the nurse station is just around that corner," he pointed down the hall.

Seeing as Ignis hadn't gathered himself yet, Gladio thanked the man with a handshake before he left them alone again. "See?" he patted the other on the upper arm, "They'll be fine, they just need a bit of patching up."

"He never said they'd be 'alright,'" Ignis shuddered out, "He merely explained what was wrong, that's not an assurance that they'll be 'alright.'

Gladio breathed out heavily, trying to guide the adviser back to the chairs, "He didn't say they wouldn't be fine either." He finally got him to sit back down, surprised he managed to keep his coffee in his hands that whole time as well. "We're probably gonna be here for a while, so what do you say about me picking us up something from the cafeteria if they're still open?"

"I really do not have an appetite right now," he stubbornly ground out, foot and fingers back to their game of 'annoy the other people in the room.'

The brute pat him on the shoulder before turning his back to him, "If you say so, but I'm bringing something back in case you happen to have a change of heart," he gave a fleeting wave before he disappeared down the hall. The moment he was out of sight, Ignis looked down to his hands, still slick with trace amounts of blood. It wasn't as much compared to what Gladio had on his person, but it was still far too much for his liking. It was Noctis' blood. His eyes darted around for a restroom and quickly located it.

Making a rush towards it, he practically slammed the door behind him and locked it. One after another, his gloves came off, revealing the subtle red that had soaked through onto his hands. He stood before the sink and turned it on, not waiting for the water to heat up as he plunged his hands under the rush and started scrubbing them with the available soap. Even when all the red was gone from his hands, he could still see it under his nails. After that was gone, he still washed them, unable to chase away the grim he still felt on them.

He could still see it; he could still hear the prince's labored and rattled breaths against his ears, it was so loud. "Noctis, Prompto, you damn idiots!" he seethed, fist slamming against the mirror sending a web of cracks through its pristine surface. His gaze lifted to look at his own reflection and saw the desperation and anger in his own eyes. Gladio was right, he needed to pull himself together.

Lying his glasses to the side, he cupped his hands under the water and splashed a decent amount onto his face, allowing the refreshing sensation pacify him. Then another, and then a third one. He took a few more deep breaths, holding each one before forcing it back out through his nose and slowly slid his glasses back on. "Keep it together for them," he told himself and straightened up, a new air of confidence passing over.

Now composed, he pushed his way through the door and back into the waiting room where he found Gladio sitting, two trays in hand. "That was fast," he commented, taking his seat back with a lot more grace.

"Hospital food," Gladio shrugged, "It's all the same, so I just grabbed the first thing I saw." He handed one of the plates over, "It's just a chicken sandwich, was honestly the best lookin' thing they had."

He nodded, taking the offered meal, "Thank you."

"Feeling better, I assume?" Gladio asked, noticing the stillness in the other's hands as he took a bite.

"A bit," he answered flatly, idly picking at his own food, still not feeling like eating it though. But, he took a bite anyway, more so out of habit than anything, or as a distraction, he wasn't sure. "This is going to be a long night," he sighed.

* * *

  
Each hour that passed, Ignis was there to witness the stroke, his eyes had entered an intimate relationship with that clock on the wall. People came and went, but never was it who he wanted to see. By this point, he was starting to lose it again, his foot threatened to resume its busy tapping and his teeth chewed the inside of his cheek until he was sure it would bleed. It was nearly six hours since they arrived here, what the hell was taking so long. Growing restless, he shot up to his feet, "I'll be right back," he told the other as he went by.

He stopped dead in his tracks to avoid running into the doctor, "Pardon me," Ignis blurted on reflex before he realized who it was, then his hand was on the man's upper arm, "How are they?" he asked, staring into his eyes in a demanding manner.

"Sir, if you would settle down," he motioned his hand in a calming gesture, eyes flitting over as Gladio joined them after hearing the short exchange. "Well, they're alive, if that's what you want to hear." The both of them let out relieved sighs.

"I want to see them, where are they?" the adviser stated, glancing don the hall.

He slowly shook his head, "I'm sorry sir, but it's not permitted for them to have any visitors of any kind yet. They just got out of su-"

"I don't give a damn, I have to be there," the brunet left no room for pleasantries, "I am in charge of their protection, and the two of us must accompany them where every they are. I'm sure you understand." He set him with a glare that spoke layers of how serious he was. "So, I'll ask again, where are they?"

The guy looked positively uncomfortable under his scrutiny, "I-I'll see what I can do," he nodded, quickly stepping away. Ignis muttered something inconceivable under his breath and folded his arms.

"Are you trying to get us kicked out," Gladio grumbled, pulling Ignis aside, "I thought you were calm by now."

He took a deep breath and looked down the hall again, "I am, just so happens that I tend to lose my patience when others don't care to cooperate.

"The man is just doing his job-"

"And I'm just trying to do mine," Ignis looked him in the eyes, only looking away when they had company again. "Well?" he snapped his focus to the doctor as soon as he was within talking distance.

He seemed to have some sort of inner turmoil about this whole situation, clearly not agreeing with it, "If it's how it has to be, then they will allow you to sit by, but do not interfere with anything, and do not try to wake the bl- Prompto up. The other one couldn't go under anesthesia due to the concussion, but he is still a bit out of it from the medication, so please interact with caution. But, if you are able, try to keep him calm."

They both eagerly nodded and followed him down the hall, taking a few twists and turns before reaching their destination. "Alright, remember, keep the noise to a minimum, and do refrain from touching them until they're lucid enough, we don't need them panicking and causing more harm to themselves."

"We understand," Gladio promised, leading the other inside and making sure he took a seat before taking one of his own as the door was gently closed behind them. The moment they had their privacy, Ignis was back on his feet and at the prince's side, brushing his hair aside and leaning in close.

"Your Highness, can you hear me?" he whispered. Noctis' eyes slowly and sluggishly made their way to meet the adviser's and his mouth opened, but no words came out but a small croak, which he flinched at.

He coughed a few times and finally seemed to focus long enough to recognize the man, "Specs?" He groaned at the sound of his own voice, sounding loud and obnoxious in his sensitive ears. "The hell?" he asked, quickly scanning the room, his eyes eventually landed on the tuft of golden yellow across the room. "Prom?" he asked, voice laced with worry.

"He's fine," Ignis assured, "He's still not awake, but he'll be alright." He looked around and found what he wanted, which was another chair and he pulled it closer in order to take a seat next to him.

Noctis blinked against the fog a few times, trying to make sense of his new surroundings, "The hell...are we?" he sounded a tad alarmed, but not overly so. "What happened?"

"You don't remember?" Gladio asked, moving to stand at his other side, arms crossed. "From the looks of it, you two had quite the run in with a coeurl," he answered after he received a head shake as a reply. He cleared his throat, "We found the both of you unconscious, and rushed to the nearest hospital," he glanced around their room. "You had...have a concussion, a decent one at that, and some broken ribs. He," he nodded in the blond's direction, "had a pretty nasty gash on his side and some internal bleeding." The look on the prince's face hurt slightly, "But, they patched everything back up, so both of you will be fine."

He seemed to accept it, "I think I, I think I remember that part," he swallowed hard, "That thing was on top of him, I had to do something."

"And, it's good that ya did," Gladio gave him a kind smile, "Chances are if you didn't, he wouldn't be here." He hated to say it out loud, but it was the cold hard truth. As they let things slowly drift back down from their elevated excitement and worry, a small and pained moaned sounded form the other side.

Without saying a word, the brunet made his way to Prompto's side now, wanting to be there so he didn't freak out upon waking up and not recognizing his surroundings. He gave him a moment to clear the fuzz enough to at least be able to make out shapes. "Hey," he spoke lowly, one hand cupping his still pale face, "Prompto, come on," he practically pleaded.

"Iggy, give him some space will ya? He isn't goin' anywhere," Gladio chuckled lightly, revealing his own relief at seeing slivers of blue.

Prompto whimpered a few times, feeling slowly coming back and his addled mind not completely able to comprehend everything, but when his eyes found that familiar being, he settled down drastically as he focused on those features, "Ig-y?" he somewhat got out; he blinked heavily and rapidly, desperately wanting that face to come into focus.

"Yeah, it's me," he nodded, combing his hair back in much the same manner as he did the prince's. "Everything's fine, just relax." He complied and let his head lean back, no longer trying to lift it up at the moment. "That's it, easy," he encouraged, unwittingly searching out his hand to hold onto it and help ground him. "It's all alright now."

Gladio looked back to Noctis, "Ya see? He's fine, a bit tired and banged up, but fine nonetheless," he took Ignis' seat seeing as he didn't appear to be in any rush to come back. More than likely he'd be going back and forth between the two, so there was no need to even save him a seat. "But, you do realize the both of you will be getting the lecture of a life time once you're free to leave this place, right?"

The prince groaned, this time out of annoyance, "Yeah," he slurred, head still pounding fiercely. "I'd be more worried if we didn't," he winced as another stab went through his skull.

"I'll go get a nurse and let them know you're both kind of awake, see of they can't give anything for pain," he offered. "I'll be right back." He reached over to give his shoulder a friendly squeeze before heading out.

Noctis cut his eyes back over to Prompto and Ignis and couldn't help but grin at the way the man was hovering, and he had a feeling he'd be like that for at least a week now. Swear the man would work himself into an early grave with the way he worried so much about everything. Yet, as annoying and condescending as it was on occasion, there was no denying that he appreciated it, and he knew for a fact that Prom had to as well. Yeah, he could handle being fussed over for a bit, even though he would complain the whole time. He sighed, and relaxed back again, the throbbing all over making itself known again as he continued watching the subtle and caring actions of the adviser.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If anyone has requests as well, feel free to leave a comment or PM me with what you want, or message on Tumblr (I go by the same name on there). I just ask that it's nothing x rated, but romance is still alright, and just know that I'm best with hurt/comfort, but it doesn't have to be that, can be just about anything. Also keep in mind that these are things I'll be doing in between chapters/stories of my own works, so they may take time, but I'll try my best to get to them eventually.
> 
> And I have this unspoken rule, that if I already wrote yours, then feel free to request another, but if your name is on the list, then it will have to wait until I get to your first one. Basically, just don't want the same name on the list more than once.
> 
> Queue as of now:
> 
> 'Anonymous'  
'Anonymous2'  
Prompto_Cam  
'Anonymous3'  
Mirai Lianna  
Touched  
Musiclife1988  
Shiary  
ScribeOfRhapsody  
ellaygee  
Hollypopstop  
Kloudia1  
laurelilith  
Kestrealbird  
Snow  
mabver321  
MasterThiefWolf  
Tabbys_desire  
the lazy one  
Crystal  
Ann  
'Anonymous4'  
Robin


	14. You Had One Job

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When one of the guys makes a bit of a mistake, they all assume it was Prompto who screwed up until realization dawns on them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta read by: SinikkavonWolperting
> 
> Request for: Anonymous (The first one)
> 
> I am so sorry if this one feels forced or awkward, I'm not sure what was going on with my brain, but it was not wanting to cooperate with me. ;w; But I tried, and I really loved the prompt for this one.

He sighed as he crossed the threshold, discarding his baggage onto the floor without a moment's consideration before dropping himself onto one of the clean and refreshing beds. "Man, it feels like it's been decades," Noctis relished as he sank further into the white and pristine sheets.

"Would it hurt you to at least change out of your filthy clothing before tainting the room," Ignis asked with a huff, strolling by to place his own belongings on the single table in the center of their room. "Honestly, for royalty, you sure behave like an uncivilized vagabond." He closed his eyes in order to hide the sight from himself. "Didn't even bother removing his shoes," he muttered to himself.

The elongated groan that came next signaled the blond's entrance, "Soooooo, tiiirrrred," he drawled out, the scrape of his feet being dragged were like nails on a chalkboard to the adviser's ears. He dropped off his things in much the same manner as the prince had, but he at least had the courtesy to drop them off out of others' way. "Yo, I call dibs on the first bath," he quickly raised a hand before anyone else could take their opportunity.

"By all means, you need it the most out of us all," Gladio nudged his back with his elbow, nearly toppling the younger over. "Just be quick about it, we'd all like to get a turn."

"Ignis...I'm hungry," Noctis hinted, not moving form his spot, "Can you cook something?" He turned his head enough to gaze at the brunet, pleading in his eyes, "We haven't had anything since this morning," he reminded.

Sighing, Ignis complied, "Very well, but we're lacking the needed ingredients," he relayed, remembering taking inventory before they had departed their camp earlier. "We need to restock on some essential items."

"Then can we go to a diner or something?" he sat up, "I'm really not that picky right now, I just want something." He worked his way to his feet and brushed some of the dust onto the floor, much to Ignis' annoyance, "So, watcha say? Sound good enough, or are you too good for a diner?"

He could hardly contain his itching need to roll his eyes, "If that's what you so desire, then so be it," it was obvious he wasn't thrilled about the prospect of it, but he highly doubted any markets were open, so there didn't appear to be any other choice. He stepped over to the bathroom door and knocked lightly, "Prompto, you think you should probably wait on that bath? We're heading out to grab something to eat."

"Uhhh," he heard from the other side, "I'm kinda already...indecent," they could hear the slight embarrassment in his voice.

"Then get 'decent' and come out," Gladio retorted sarcastically. "We need to get going before they close too."

There was a slight sound of scuffling, "Think you can go ahead without me?" he asked as they heard the water turn on, "Maybe bring me something back though...if you don't mind."

"Or, you can just come with us, you're not in yet."

"Actually, I am now," they heard him call from a little further away, "Besides, I can't be seen looking this disgusting, I have standards, as hard as that is to believe." They heard a subtle splash as he spoke, followed by a light hiss and a resounding 'Hot, hot, hot.'

Noctis just waved a hand, "Yeah sure, I'll just bring back the normal," he offered, already heading towards the door, Gladio closed behind.

Ignis lingered back a bit longer, making sure he grabbed a sufficient amount of gil from his bag and made sure to grab the key off the table, "We'll be back shortly, so try not to wreck the place if you can help it."

"No worries," Prompto replied, "Mind locking up on the way out? Don't think I want to be intruded upon at the moment. Unless it happened to be Cin- I mean, I'd hate to be seem like this." He thought about slinking down into the water to hide after that almost slip-up.

"What do you take me for?" the brunet replied, stuffing the key in his pocket, "And please, don't stay in there too long." Prompto settled a bit further down as he heard the signifying 'click' of the door closing. Alone at last, left to himself to enjoy some solitude. Despite his perkiness and extrovert appearances, having some time to himself was pretty welcomed on occasion. He soaked in the heat and sank further down, to where his head was barely above the water. And, he could practically feel the tension from the last few days flee his muscles.

Slowly, his body began to pull him into an almost trance-like state until he could feel himself teetering between wakefulness and sleep. This was nice, nothing but him and his thoughts; but, something felt wrong, something that yanked him right back into reality. "Is someone there?" he asked, pulling himself back upright. There was no answer, but there was definitely the sound of someone shuffling. "Hello?" he called out again, starting to feel a little panicked at the lack of answers he was receiving.

Someone ran, and the door slammed shut, and he felt his blood run cold. There was no time wasted in getting out and getting dressed, not even so much as taking the time to dry off before throwing his clothes on. Ignoring the uncomfortable way they clung to his form, he eased the door open to peek outside. He didn't see anyone, but the small mess of clothes across the floor made his heart drop; which wouldn't have been that shocking if they were his or Noctis', but they were clearly Ignis'. Listening for a few more seconds to make sure the coast was clear, he pushed the door the rest of the way and scanned over the mess before him. "Shit..." he muttered, one hand immediately going to run through his hair.

The place was utterly destroyed, clothes and their belongings strewn everywhere, sheets ripped off of beds and their bags cast aside after obviously have been dumped clean. "No, no..." he mumbled, the scene sinking in as realization dawned on him; he didn't even hear them break in, did they pick the lock? They had to have. But, that would have made some noise, and he hadn't heard anything, no jiggling of the door knob, or the sounds of metal scraping, absolutely nothing. He stumbled to where his phone was, nearly tripping over the items, but, found with dread, that of course it had been taken, and in desperation, he began digging for it, praying that it had merely been covered up by a piece of stray material. Though, he knew that hope to be in vain.

He felt like the walls were closing in on him, like he couldn't breathe, until he heard the door opening and his eyes snapped onto it, fear gripping them as the thoughts of whoever it was returned. But, he relaxed only slightly as he watched Ignis step through, followed closely by the other two; each of them had their to go bags in hand, guessed they decided to bring the stuff back to the motel instead.

The adviser ceased mid-step, eyes widening marginally at the chaos he stumbled upon and a frantic and terrified looking blond standing in the middle of it all. "Prompto?" he asked, slowly, "What happened here?" It was obvious that he was trying his best to keep his cool, but his clear dismay was leaking through.

"I-I don't know," he stammered, turning around in a circle to look over all of it again, "I think someone must of broken in, but...but I didn't hear anything." His voice was trembling with anxiety and upset, "When I came out, it was...it was like this."

"How do you not notice something like this happening?" Gladio asked, stepping forward to get a better look at everything. "It's kind of hard to be that oblivious," he nearly snapped, looking at the various bags thrust over to the side.

Ignis went right to his own pile of belongings and procured his wallet and peered inside, an annoyed and frustrated sighed coming out at finding it completely empty. "Well, there goes our funds," he fumed, dropping it back onto the mountain of clothes with a touch of harshness. "We leave you alone for less than ten minutes, and this happens," he sighed, trying not to sound overly pissed, but he wasn't doing a good job of it.

"How did they even get in?" Noctis asked, glancing over to the door, which had opened easily enough, so no forced entry.

"Obviously they waltzed on in," Ignis bit, "An unlocked door is basically an invitation to do as one pleases."

Prompto perked up a bit at that, "Wait," he breathed, "Unlocked?"

"That is what I said, isn't it?" the brunet retorted, "How else would one get in without making a sound? Honestly, is it that difficult to lock a damn door when everyone leaves?"

"But...I asked you to do that," the blond spoke softly, his heart fluttering in his chest.

The brunet narrowed his eyes, "I do not recall this, certainly that task is left to he person alone in the residence; but, I really shouldn't be surprised. I normally have to check after everyone anyway, so why should this have been any different," he breathed out heavily through his nose. Then, he abruptly remembered something rather important and he flicked his attention back to the table, where the keys to the Regalia should have been, and he could have sworn he felt something snap.

"Iggy," Prompto almost pleaded, "I promise, I thought you lock-"

"Just stop talking," he interrupted, pinching the bridge of his nose, "I don't want to hear you right now, I don't think I can even stomach to look at you right now." He closed his eyes and took a seat on the edge of the bed.

Prompto took a shuddering breath, "But..."

Gladio shook his head, "It's probably best if you don't say anything else right now, alright?" There was the same air of disappointment to his tone as well, and looking to the prince, he held an expression to mirror that feeling.

"I-But," he stuttered, his mind buzzing and his lungs constricting, but it didn't appear as though any of them were in the mood to hear any of it, and he couldn't take it; he couldn't handle their overbearing and upset demeanors, so he made towards the door. It was clear, they didn't want to deal with him right now, maybe after they had a chance to cool off, though there was no telling how long that would take considering how angry they seemed at the moment. "I'll be back," he muttered, on the off chance that they actually cared before heading out to be alone for a bit.

"I can't believe this," the shield uttered once he was out of earshot, "Is everything of value gone?" he growled, looking through his own things.

Ignis nodded from his spot, "All of our gil, the Regalia is most likely long gone by now, and it looks as though anything else worth a pretty penny has been snatched as well. Anything these criminals could fit in their pockets anyway." His hand moved from his nose to his temple to rub small circles as the beginnings of a headache started to pound. "I'll call the authorities," he offered with a sigh, "It's the only option we have with literally nothing."

From a few feet away, Noctis looked over everything once again, looking from the door to the others, then to the table where the key was. "Hold on a moment," he held up a hand, "Where's the key?"

He saw the adviser nearly freeze over as a hand drifted to his pocket and felt the familiar shape, his fingers running over the ridged surface; he had forgotten he had it on him, assumed he had left it here. "Oh by the Six," he whispered, taking a deep breath as the blond's faint words replayed in his head, "I should probably go after him." Pushing himself up, he head after Prompto.

"Wait," Noctis turned on the spot, "So, you were supposed to lock up?" He sounded almost offended, "And you just chewed him out, for something you were going to do, am I getting this right?" Ignis didn't give a response as he pushed himself forward with a sigh.

The brunet shut the door behind him, dreading the inevitability of admitting his wrong-doing; this was definitely to take a few notches off his pride, that was for sure. He hesitated before beginning his search, shouldn't take too long anyway. Prompto couldn't have gotten too far in this short amount of time. And, with minimal glancing, he found the familiar shape perched on a bench a few yards away. His head was hung low, not a sound coming from him. "Prompto," Ignis called out, trying to get his attention without intruding in his space. When he didn't get a reaction, he called again, a bit louder.

"What?" the blond asked, bitterly and without turning around.

"Is it alright if I join you?" he tried to keep his voice low and casual, "I have something I need to say." The other hesitated, expecting some more lecturing or to be told how bad he screwed up, but he nodded anyway, prepared for the worst of it. Ignis took the welcome and slowly walked over, still a bit tentative in approaching before he sat next to him. "I think I owe you an apology," he stared forward himself, for once unable to make eye contact. The younger listened intently, interested to see where this turn in attitude was going. "You were right, I was supposed to lock up, but I suppose it slipped my mind." There was an essence of self-loathing in his words.

"Really?" Prompto asked, monotonously, "Fascinating." He drew his knees up in order to lean his forehead against them to avoid looking at the other.

Leaning his head back, he cut his eyes over, "I know, not my place, but think you're willing to come back soon, you're soaking wet and it's not exactly warm out here." He watched for a reaction, and only received a small peek from one eye. "Well, either way, the authorities will need to be called and you were the only one here when it happened, so questions will be asked," he informed, patting the other on the arm as he stood up. "I'm going to make some coffee, do you want some?"

Prompto huffed a breath out; he couldn't keep ignoring the man with the way he was trying so hard, "Alright," he finally agreed, standing with his arms crossed and still refusing to make eye contact. "I guess I wouldn't say no to some."

Ignis smiled to himself, well, this was a start. "We'll get this all sorted out though, it wasn't a particularly large sum of money, and cars are relatively easy to track down. So, I'm willing to wager that within a week it will be as if none of this ever happened." This time, he refused to avert his gaze until it was met, and it took a moment, but eventually it worked as he nodded. "Let's get back inside, and I truly am sorry," he pushed his glasses up in embarrassment, "Not to mention utterly ashamed at having made such a foolish mistake," he quickly muttered to himself.

"It's alright," Prompto slightly perked back up, the sour mood starting to drive him insane, "Mistakes happen, things happen, it's not a big deal." He joined by the adviser's side, and together, they went back inside, the eyes of the others instantly locking onto them.

"Well, authorities should be here within a few minutes," Gladio mumbled as he leaned against the far wall, eyebrows knit together in both frustration and anger. "Wish I could get my hands on these bastards myself though," to emphasize his point, he popped a few knuckles.

Noctis merely sat on the closest bed, his legs crossed with an annoyed expression on his face when he glanced to the others, "Get everything cleared up?" he asked, focusing his attention on the older of the two, his eyes almost boring into him.

"Indeed, everything is settled," he assured making his way to the coffee pot to make a fresh batch, "So, go ahead, lay into me, I can handle it," he waved a hand. Nothing any of them could say could make him feel any worse about what he had said to Prompto. "Or you can take your time and formulate the perfect insult," he shrugged when no one said anything.

"I think living with the guilt of letting this happen is more than enough," Noctis gave a sly grin, knowing full well the shame was eating the man alive on the inside. "I mean, if it were me, well, I'm not sure what I'd do." He kept his eyes on the other, watching the slight fidget his words caused, well as far as he could tell, it was more than deserving.

Unknown to the others, Ignis grit his teeth, trying to ignore the prince's snide comments, "Prompto, I suggest you go dry off," he changed the subject, "You're tracking water everywhere and your clothes are basically saturated now."

"O-oh, right," the blond jolted slightly, having almost forgotten that he never actually dried off before getting dressed. "That's actually a good idea," he muttered. Reluctantly, he began filtering through the piles of clothes until he found a few of his own, and quickly, he disappeared back into the other room to get some privacy while he changed and patted himself off. He took a deep breath before walking back out, the earlier events still shaking him slightly.

The others were sitting around the table by the time he got out, so he figured why not join them, though he was still hesitant to say much of everything. They may not have been irritated with him anymore, the shock of it all didn't exactly go away so easily. But, at least they were trying to make it seem like nothing happened, and for a while it would feel relatively normal, at least until the police got there, then everything would weigh down once again. That's not to say he didn't appreciate the efforts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If anyone has requests as well, feel free to leave a comment or PM me with what you want, or message on Tumblr (I go by the same name on there). I just ask that it's nothing x rated, but romance is still alright, and just know that I'm best with hurt/comfort, but it doesn't have to be that, can be just about anything. Also keep in mind that these are things I'll be doing in between chapters/stories of my own works, so they may take time, but I'll try my best to get to them eventually.
> 
> And I have this unspoken rule, that if I already wrote yours, then feel free to request another, but if your name is on the list, then it will have to wait until I get to your first one. Basically, just don't want the same name on the list more than once.
> 
> Queue as of now:
> 
> 'Anonymous2'  
Prompto_Cam  
'Anonymous3'  
Mirai Lianna  
Touched  
Musiclife1988  
Shiary  
ScribeOfRhapsody  
ellaygee  
Hollypopstop  
Kloudia1  
laurelilith  
Kestrealbird  
Snow  
mabver321  
MasterThiefWolf  
Tabbys_desire  
the lazy one  
Crystal  
Ann  
'Anonymous4'  
Robin  
Luna the Wolf Mage  
FredrikssonT  
MsChievous


	15. You Deserve So Much More

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's nearing the holidays, and Prompto works himself to exhaustion in order to not only pay bills, but to but gifts for the others as well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta read by: SinikkavonWolperting
> 
> Request for: Anonymous (The Second One)
> 
> I'm not sure if this is considered AU or not, so please let me know if it is. o3o
> 
> This one went on for far longer than I had expected it to, but I enjoyed ever second of writing it. :D At 4k, I was like, 'Yup, this is gonna be a longer one.' Then, like four hours later it's at 8.3k

Waking up to the tortuous blaring screech of an alarm was beginning to become a traditional routine to him, and he wasn't certain if he was particularly fond of that or not; definitely wasn't a fan of the fatigue that still weighed heavily on his eyes and well, his entire body. Prompto glanced at his clock: five a.m., only an hour before he had to be at work. He slowly pushed himself up until he was sitting on the edge of his bed, his head still foggy with remnants of sleep as he ran a hand through his hair to brush it out of his face. And, he cringed at the slickness of it; grime clinging to the strands grotesquely. Oh, right, he hadn't had the time to wash it like he had wanted to. Showers were starting to sound like wishful legends to him at this point.

There wasn't time to waste on it now, he'd just have to hope no one noticed his ungroomed self, or at the very least wouldn't comment on it. The beeping continued to nag him, and he had almost forgotten about it, or became so accustomed to it, it no longer pestered him like it did a couple weeks ago. Or, maybe he was just too tired to really care. After switching the alarm off, he stretched his neck from side to side, trying to work out the kinks in it with a light hiss as the joints popped painfully.

Reluctantly, he got to his feet, his head immediately pounded with the abrupt upright position. "Just a few more days," he reminded himself as he cut his eyes over to the gifts wrapped up for both Ignis and Gladio. Once he got something for Noctis, then he could quit at least one of these jobs; one less burden on his shoulders. But, until then, he'd just have to suck it up and deal with it, he had to keep in mind that this was for them and that it would be well worth it. The walk there was about twenty minutes, and the fact that he had to help open meant there was no time for anything grand; so, he settled on plucking an apple out of the fridge and grabbing his apron on the way out.

It was decided, this would be the job he'd quit, he already wasn't a morning person as it was, and getting home late every night from his waiting shift wasn't making it any better. Not to mention it was probably the one he was least keen about, the boss wasn't exactly a man with an 'understanding nature.' It didn't take long for him to lose himself in thought, which he realized he had been doing more often here lately. He shook his head to clear it by the time he noticed he almost missed his stop and spun ungracefully on the spot.

He took a deep breath before heading in, this was going to be another rough and exhausting day, there was no doubt about that, and he wondered just how much longer he could keep this up before he keeled over on the side of the road. Pressing through, he released a sigh, thankful for the warmer interior of the coffee shop, definitely a nice shift from nearly freezing to death on the way over.

"Thought you'd never get here," called the sarcastic voice from over the counter as his opening partner leaned against it; she gave him a warm smile, "You realize you're like," she checked the clock, "five minutes early, right?" she raised an eyebrow.

He chuckled lightly, the noise coming out almost forced, "Yeah, well, you know, just happened to wake up earlier than usual, and I had nothing better to do, so I figured why not," he shrugged in between bites of his piece of fruit and quickly tied his apron on to join her behind the counter where he tossed the core into the trash. He spent the last thirty minutes getting the machines ready and setting the counters up with fresh samples, getting ready for that first initial rush.

"You mind taking the register today? I'm not exactly in the mood to deal with customers," his coworker asked, staring at him with pleading eyes.

He bit his lip, but he agreed, "Sure, no problem," he didn't really have proper training, but it couldn't be that bad, could it? He's watched her handle it enough to get the general idea of it at the very least. "Hey, I wanted to ask, and I know it's kind of asking for a lot, but I was wondering if maybe..." he trailed off, scratching the back of his neck.

"Yes?" she urged, folding her arms.

"Think you'd be willing to cover for me, at the end of this shift? I kinda have something else I need to attend to around twelve or so, and I can't miss it again." He averted his gaze, feeling guilty for even suggesting it.

She seemed to think about it for a minute, "I guess I owe you for the other day, so I suppose it's fine," she sighed, her shoulder's slumping. "Just don't let the big man himself see you skipping out." Waving a hand, she stepped around the counter and to the door in order to unlock it. "So," she rejoined him behind the counter, "Got any plans over the holidays?"

This was an obvious attempt at idle conversation, but the sudden question still caught him off guard and flustered him slightly. "I-I actually don't think so," he realized with a small pang. "I mean, I still plan on doing a bit of shopping, but nothing special." He straightened out his apron as a nervous habit, knowing how pathetic that must have come across. Twenty years old and not a single plan for the weekend, how embarrassing.

She merely nodded, choosing not to comment on the subject further, and to both of their relief, the bell sounded off signalling the arrival of their first customer of the day. "Well, here we go, time to get this going and over with," she smirked unenthusiastically, but quickly replaced it with a welcoming smile the moment the newcomer was close enough.

* * *

What felt like hours later, the morning crowd was finally thinning out, and he wasn't sure, but he was already feeling about ready to die, and his head was throbbing almost steadily now. He took a deep breath, the action of it wearing him out more than helping any, "Hey, thanks again for covering, I can't thank you enough. You're the best," he waved her as he jogged back out the door, already peeling his apron off before he was completely outside. The contrasting temperature almost sucked the air out of his lungs as he trudged through the steadily thickening snow along the sidewalk.

He shivered as a gust assaulted him, almost causing him to stumble in his path. "Damn, it's freezing," he muttered, a puff of white mist emitting from his mouth. Pulling his coat tighter around himself, he headed back to his place, the going more than twice as tedious this time around with the cold fluff trying its best to hold him back. He didn't have much time to waste, so he'd have to pick up the pace a bit unless he wanted to fall behind...again. Each step just numbed his legs even more and caused his body to plead for a break, but there was no time for that.

Eventually, he made it back, only staying long enough to toss his apron through the door before he was heading in the opposite direction for his morning job. Checking the time, he grit his teeth ever so slightly; there was only five minutes before he had to be there. Well, no way he was getting to these few houses on time, so he was prepared for at least one of the clients to chew him out for it. Though, that didn't mean it was going to be any less annoying, even if he did know what was coming.

The first, as well as the second, seemed to be at least a tad understanding as they handed over their dogs, and they had the decency to give him thanks this time. But, it was the third person he was worried about. Miss Domine, at the ripe old age of ancient, had that entitled disease quite a few elderly tended to have. Either things were perfect, or they were useless in her eyes. As he approached her front door, he swallowed hard against his rising nerves and shuffled uncomfortably on his feet. "Alright," he muttered, gripping the two leashes in his left hand and knocked his right hand against the wood.

It creaked open far enough for one greenish-brown eye to peek through, "Oh, it's you." She sighed irritably, and huffed out a quick, 'One minute,' as she slammed the door a bit more than harshly. Her heavy footfalls slowly faded away and eventually started their return back, this time a smaller set of 'taps' followed after her own. "Here," she thrust the end of the leash through the cracked door, "Don't expect any tips this time; only give tips to capable people who know how to read the time." She closed it back without giving him a chance to explain or anything.

"I...I understand," he faltered, face falling as he took a deep breath and spun on the spot. "Ready to go, Peanut?" he asked down to the already shaking terrier, "I'll take that as a no, but you're coming anyway." He tugged the three of them along, quickly falling into their usual pattern, just around a couple blocks, usually getting back around two or so, and then would head off to his last job of the day.

Prompto rounded his second corner, taking things slower than usual, but not due to his own choice, but because two of the three dogs could barely see over the top of the snow, and therefor struggled to even get through it. He was beginning to consider just carrying them the rest of the way, not like the owners would know they didn't actually walk. After a few more feet, and Peanut's refusal to go any further, he decided it was the only way he'd get this done quick enough, and in one fell swoop, scooped up the two smallest in either hand. As he did so, he was vaguely aware of one of the leashes slipping from his grip, and just as he saw it hit the ground, it was gone. "Dammit," he bit under his breath, "Rufus, no, come back!" He called as the largest of the three hauled it to the right, straight across the street.

He glanced around for anything he could tie the others two to first, but saw nothing, and with another clench of his teeth, he tightened his hold on them and took off after Rufus, not even caring that they were getting jostled in the process. He clicked his tongue a few times as he trailed after the dog, calling its name every so often, but still not getting its attention. "Come on," he muttered, fear starting to set in; so many things that could go wrong form this. It could get lost, never to be found again, could get kidnapped. And the last thing, the one he dreaded the most, was the possibility of it getting hit by a car or some similar accident occurring.

By the time he reached the other side of the road, his vision again fluctuated for a fraction of a second and he found himself stumbling to keep his balance. The side of his head felt as though they were slowly caving in, but he ignored these feelings for the time being, he had to get Rufus back. He stopped for only a few seconds, long enough for his sight to clear back up, and went back to trudging on. The dog was out of his view for some time now, but luckily he was still able to follow its tracks, which of course rounded another corner in the opposite direction of what he needed to go down.

The blond realized by the time he went on for another few minutes that his pace had slowed down drastically, practically dragging his feet now as each step just sent more aches through his muscles. "This can't be worth it," he sighed, teeth chattering steadily. Then he thought of the others, and he reminded himself that this was for them, and of course it was worth it; it had to be, they deserved it. His breathing was coming out in labored pants by the time he saw Rufus again, off across another street and walking at a reasonable pace again. His leach was dragging behind him as if it were nothing more than an extension of his body.

"There ya are, buddy," he sighed, relief flooding him, warming him by a small amount. He glanced either way, and ran across, again, putting on a front that he wasn't about to die from exhaustion. Actually reaching him was sort of a blur, most of his focus was put to staying on his feet. And, now that all three were again in his possession, he took a moment to lean against a street sign in order to catch his breath; each one was like icy needles in his lungs and he honestly felt like throwing up. "Alright," he uttered, straightening back up, "I think...I think it's time for you guys to go home."

He sighed deeply, trying to compose himself a bit better, and he was heading back to drop off the dogs, again, getting ready for a lecture; there wasn't even a need to check his phone to see if he was late or not, the answer was pretty clear just by how far he had wandered off. Approaching Miss Domine's place, he hesitated and swallowed nervously. This was probably the worst part to everyday, she was never satisfied and with how long it took him today, he could only imagine her wrath. For a second though, he thought about just knocking and leaving Peanut on the top step to run for it.

Against his better judgement, he pounded his fist against the door and held his breath as he heard her approaching. "I'm so sorry," he blurted out, bowing his head, "But, there was a bit of an...inconven-"

"I don't care what your excuse is, you were supposed to be back nearly thirty minutes ago," his heart fluttered at that, had it really taking that long? "Give me my dog back, and if this happens again, there are plenty of beggars for me to choose from that can handle a bit of dog walking." And, just like earlier, she took her terrier back and thrust the door shut, the sound of it making him flinch.

He bit his lip as he slowly descended back down her front, "Not as bad as it could have been," he mumbled, chuckling slightly. But still, no pay from her for today, that would definitely dent his savings at least a small amount. Luckily, the others didn't seem too upset and were even understanding, and to top it all off, they paid him for his effort and time. Pocketing his gil, he stuffed his hands in his pockets, and went on his way, still had another job to get to and this one he actually had to be somewhat presentable for. So, shower it was, then to be on his way again.

As he walked back, he noticed that he was blanking out a lot more recently, barely remembering the trip until he arrived at his destination. He stared at his door for a moment and shook his head, clearing the fog from it, he was just tired, all the days were only blurring over, it was normal. He was overthinking all this, and what he really just needed was a quick hot shower, and he would feel better and more alive.

He stepped inside, and immediately felt his heart drop, it was cold in here as well. With a reluctant hand, he gave the light-switch a flip, and it was exactly like he thought, lights were off. He forgot to pay on time. Well, there goes that plan, and now it was time for a new one; one that involved delving into his savings. Just what he needed. Looks like now he'd have to wait another day before he could afford Noctis' gift, no big deal, it would just mean working that job a few more days than he had planned to. He went to his stash hidden beneath his clothes in one of his drawers and withdrew a few hundred gil, biting his tongue at the hit it took, he stuffed them into his pocket.

There wasn't time to pay it off now, it would probably have to wait until the next day now. He would do it after work, but there is no way the office would still be open by that time, but he figured to bring it anyway. There was always the chance he could get a long enough break to go pay it off. For now, he had to get ready, which included at least fixing his hair to look like he hadn't just woken up. So, after brushing through it real fast, which didn't help his cause by much, he haphazardly tossed on his uniform and checked himself in the mirror. And, to his displeasure, he looked as tired and frazzled as he felt...great.

Unfortunately, there wasn't time to worry too much on appearances, it was getting late and he was already going to get scolded for his looks, he didn't need more reasons to be yelled at by his boss. "Let's get this over with," he muttered, biting down his nausea as he stepped back outside, the frigidness of the air waking him up a tad bit more.

This place was a bit more out of the way than the others, and with the ground the way it was, he figured leaving earlier than normal was in his best interest. As he reached the front entrance, he gazed up at the sign above the door, and he had to fight not to roll his eyes at it; gods did he despise this place. He kind of hopped in place a couple times, trying to physically and mentally prepare himself for the night and stepped through. Instantly, he was ushered to get started, a bit of language was thrown in as he quickly rushed over to his usual tables and took their orders. Not even five minutes in, and he was already sick of this place.

He scribbled everything down in his little notebook, nodding along and making suggestions like he was pestered to do, and with all that done, he made his way to pass the note on as well as gather their drinks. Filling the four glasses with their respective liquids, he placed them one by one on the tray, careful not to spill any and began making his way back. As he rounded the corner, he wasn't sure what came over him, but his vision acted up again, only this time his body seemed to refuse to cooperate as well. He must have spaced out for a moment because the last thing he heard was the shattering of glass and a few gasps from nearby people.

Blinking rapidly, he glanced around and realized he was on his hands and knees, shards of glass glinted around him and the carpet beneath him was absolutely soaked. "I-I'm so sorry," he more or less slurred out, everything slowly coming back to him.

"Sir?" He turned his attention to his right to see one of the customers sitting in the booth staring down at him, "Are you alright?" He couldn't make out their features just yet, everything was still slightly burred to him, but he nodded with a light, 'yeah'. "But, you're bleeding."

His eyebrows arched up at that statement, and he glanced down to his hands, and sure enough, they had a few minor cuts on them, most likely due to him breaking his fall. "Oh," was all he said as he sat up; a hand gripped the back of his collar as he moved and assisted in hauling him to his feet, but it was far from a kind gesture.

"Argentum, go get yourself cleaned up, now," he near demanded, sounding like he had no patience left. Prompto glanced over his shoulder to see his manager standing there, looking none too pleased about the mess before him. "And get someone out here to clean this up, I need to have a word with you when you're done."

The blond's heart clenched, the man may have sounded calm on the outside, but he learned by now that was only a show for the customers, a mere facade to hide what he was truly feeling. "Yes, sir," he muttered, holding his hands out in front of him as he hurried towards the employees restroom, his legs shakily carrying him and barely managing to hold him up as he went.

He leaned over the sink and allowed water to run over his cuts, hissing at the initial contact, but it quickly switched into that of relieving. This went on for a couple minutes, and he outwardly cringed when he heard the door open and was ready for what was coming. "What the hell was that?" He asked, stepping up to stand a few inches away, "Are you trying to get us negative reviews or are you really that damn clumsy? Do you realize that you spilled that crap on at least two people out there?" He kept his voice low, but he could hear the heat behind each syllable. "We can't have that happening again."

"I understand," the younger promised, keeping his eyes downward, "I promise, it...it won't happen again, I'll be more-"

"You're damn right it won't, I want you out of here tonight. As soon as you're done here, you can go home, and don't worry about coming back tomorrow night."

Prompto's pulse picked up and he spun on the spot, dizzying himself with the movement, "Wait, no, please, you don't understand. I need this-"

"Well, you should have thought about that before you fucked up," he hissed between teeth. "Don't worry, I'll send your check for the few minutes you worked tonight, now if you'll excuse me, I have to go apologize and compensate for those people." He stopped at the door and glanced over his shoulder, "Make sure not to leave this place a mess as well."

He stood there for a moment, frozen in disbelief. Did he really just get fired? For a few moments, he felt nothing, but he wanted to just drop on the spot and stay there for the rest of his life. This couldn't be happening, after the lights incident, he couldn't afford to lose this job now; he needed it now more so than before. Out of spite, he quickly dried his hands off and ripped his apron off to throw it on the floor before exiting. He just wanted everything to do with this place out of his sight.

On his way out, he caught sight of the customers who's nights he had ruined and gave them a sad smile and a small shrug, not watching long enough to see how they reacted to it before pushing himself out. On the bright side, at least it was still early enough to get his lights turned back on; and hey, if he had enough left over, maybe he could still get Noct at least a little something. Wouldn't have been as nice as he would have liked, but it would have to be enough, he figured.

He headed in the opposite direction of his apartment, towards the office to pay this inconvenience off; his body still felt drained after nearly passing out in there, but he pressed on, would be nice to at least take a warm bath we he got home if nothing else. A small hopeful smile graced his face as he thought about it. But, the longer he trudged on, the more his heart calmed down as the adrenaline wore off and everything started to catch up with him again. His steps slowed drastically as well, and he found himself taking more and more time until he practically stopped altogether to lean against a building. His breaths coming in quick and shallow, trying to fight his body's need to collapse again. "Not now," he begged, closing his eyes as the world tilted dangerously.

One second, he felt slightly flushed and was even sweating, and the next second he was encased in cold. He quickly realized that he was no longer on his feet, and he felt...hands on him. His fear spiked and he shot up, pushing himself to sit up, and the touch he felt was gone just as quickly. He scanned around and saw whoever it was just before they rounded the street. It took a second for it to register, but panic pumped through his veins when he became aware what exactly they had been doing. Wasting no time, he frantically searched his pockets and found them all completely empty. Gil, phone, everything.

He just fell back forward, the thought of giving up and just staying right there to freeze to death crossed his mind a couple times. The idea of chasing the person did come to mind, but what was the point. He'd never catch them, not the way he was now anyway. He wanted to cry, something, but even that seemed like it required too much energy. So, he just lied there, stayed down until the sun was starting to go down. "What now?" he asked himself, rolling over to his back, a hand drifting to rest on his chest. He could go home, but it'd feel just as miserable as it did here.

Sitting back up, he looked around, looking for any place that was still open that would let him use their phone, and he easily spotted a place close enough and forced himself to get up, despite his want to wallow in his own misfortune. Clearing his throat and cringing at the irritation it caused, he dragged leaded feet through the snow, slowly making his way over to the door and eventually got in.

"Excuse me?" he half croaked at the front desk of what looked to be some sort of thrift shop, "Do you think I could, uh, borrow a phone, or something?" He tried to keep the tremble from his voice, not wanting to sound overly pathetic. The woman behind the counter pointed over to the wall where a few phones hung there, free of charge. He sighed shakily, and smiled weakly out of a better response, "Thank you," he nodded and headed that way. Luckily, he did remember Noctis' number, not so much the others, but he only need one of them, so it worked out. Finally, something seemed to be working out.

Quickly, he dialed the number he had dialed so many times in high school, and that hope he had quickly dropped once again when it went straight to voicemail. No big deal, he'd just leave a message, "Hey, Noct. So...I won't be able to drop by anywhere tomorrow like I had wanted to so. Uh, so I was wondering if you could call the others and maybe see about heading over sometime tonight? If you're not busy of course, don't wanna, you know, take any of you away from any important busines-" he was cut off by the shrill beep. With a disappointed exhale, he pulled the phone from his ear to hang it back up. "Alright," he combed through his hair and waved a hand to the clerk as he carried himself back out the door.

With nothing better to do, he figured he may as well head back home, no idea how he'd wake up in time for his morning shift without an alarm clock, nor a phone to use as one, but he could only hope something would work out. This time around, he took his precious time and getting back, what was the point in rushing? He'd just wear himself out more, which was something he couldn't afford to do right now.

By the time he reached his front door, he reached in his pocket for his key, and luckily, that was still where he had put it. He guessed he woke up in time before they could snag that. With a weary mind and more than taxed out form, he stepped inside and locked up behind himself and dragged his feet as he went to his room, not even bothering to do anything else, not that he could in the pitch blackness, and just collapsed on his bed, tugging his cover tightly around himself, seeking what little warmth he could and closed his eyes. He wanted sleep to hurry up and claim him, at least then he couldn't think about the shit show this day had turned into.

There he waited, not sure if his message was ever received or not, but there was no way of knowing, so all he could do was lie there for a while and hope. Unsure of how long he lied there, listening for any sign of someone, anyone, he could feel the tug on his eyes and the calling of slumber teasing him closer, and before he realized it, there was no fighting it. His body wanted what it wanted and it swiftly took him under its wing without a word of warning.

* * *

Well, he guessed there really wasn't a need for an alarm to wake up on time, the cold did it for him. The moment he awoke, he didn't want to move, not only was he freezing, but everything ached painfully and his head throbbed steadily. To put it lightly, he felt like death warmed over, and there was no doubt in his mind that he had caught something at some point; not sure what, but he didn't care. What he did care about was getting to work on time, and with no way of knowing the time, he had to no choice but to take a wild guess and just assume he was already late.

There was no way he would risk losing yet another job, since there was not a chance he would be able to make enough to live off of just walking dogs. With a grunt, he pushed himself up, and could tell today wouldn't be any better just by the way his head stabbed particularly harshly and he had to lower it until it dulled enough for him to continue with his daily routine. At least he could see things with the light filtering in through his window. He ran a hand over his face, and could feel the subtle heat coming off it as his fingers glided over a light sweat, stinging his cut slightly.

But, he couldn't afford to be sick, couldn't afford to take a day off, not even one. Just like the morning before, he grabbed his apron and went ahead and tied that around his waist, but he also decided to skip out on breakfast, he didn't exactly have an appetite, not to mention that sick feeling was still there nagging him. He swallowed thickly against the rising bile at the thought of eating anything and shook it out of his head. Combing through his hair once more, he cringed at the griminess of it, getting nothing but filthier from the lack of a shower. Like before, he just hoped no one would comment on it, no doubt they would notice it, it was impossible not to notice.

The moment he stepped outdoors, he was nearly blinded, his eyes far too sensitive at the time for this kind of abuse. So, keeping his eyes downward, he went on. Though, to be honest, the brightness from the snow wasn't much better.

As he reached the coffee shop, he was more than a bit dismayed to see it already open and flourishing, his usual co-worker seemingly struggling with the rush single-handedly and he couldn't help the slash of guilt that was brought down with it. With growing nerves, he quickly went in and weaved around the few tables between him and the counter, spouting small apologies as he received strange, but equally concerned looks from a few.

"What the heck happened to you?" she asked as soon as he was close enough. She glanced over his features, not needing to investigate further to clearly see he definitely should not be there. "You know you're allowed to call in sick if you need to, right?" she raised an eyebrow, really wondering if he knew that or not.

He nodded, "Yeah, I know, but I can't," his voice was hoarse and forced, barely coming out as he joined her behind the counter. "Kinda got fired from my night job, so I really can't miss any."

"What?!" She asked, raising her voice unintentionally from the shock of that statement. "I thought you only had this and the dog-walking thing, when did you get another one?"

Prompto leaned against the counter, needing it in order to stand steadily, "I actually had a waiting job before this one," he admitted, shrugging, "But not anymore. And now my lights are off, and I lost the money to pay that off with, and now I need to buy a new phone, and as a cherry on top, I have to find another job now to pay for it all." As he said it out loud, it began to really set in and he felt everything tighten and his eyes prick with the stress of it, "And...I have no idea what I'm supposed to do now," he sighed and lied his head on his folded arms.

"Don't you have someone you can stay with for a bit, until you get things sorted out?"

He shrugged, "I mean, technically, but I don't wanna bother them with this stuff, I'll figure it out." Lifting his head, he tried to straighten up, but instantly stumbled and had to grab back onto the counter.

"Whoa," she quickly grabbed onto his arm, "I think you should go sit down, can't have you falling all over the place," she tried to hide her worry with a playful tone. "Just take it easy, I can call someone for you if I need to, alright?"

He perked up at that and tried to pull away and support himself, "No, it's fine, I'm alright," he stubbornly drawled out, but was unsuccessful in freeing himself from her hold. "I just need a minute," he breathed out as she more or less made him take a seat at one of the tables, and without his knowing, she went straight to the phone, pulling out his file as she did so to search for any emergency contacts listed. It wasn't until the third number listed that she got an answer, which was gruff and almost intimidating in sound. Quickly relaying what was going on, only mentioning the ill part and choosing to leave the rest out, she thanked him and hung up to get back to work.

Prompto lied there, starting to hear the calling of sleep again, but he hard-headedly tried to fight it, and he succeeded for some time at least, but he ultimately lost the war against it. He gave in, allowing his eyes to close and his mind to wander off, but he didn't get to relish in it for long before he felt a heavy hand lightly shake his shoulder. Prying open one heavy eyelid, he gazed over at the blurred figure hovering over him. And, if it were possible, he felt more tired and overall worse than he had earlier.

"Prompto," Gladio crouched down to get on the same level as him, "Hey, I'm takin' you home, alright?"

The blond shook his head, "Can't go," he slurred stubbornly, going to stand up, but ended up falling against the larger man the moment his tried to straighten up.

"Doesn't look like you have a choice," he sighed, frowning at the heat coming off the younger. He cut his eyes over to the woman, "Hey, thanks by the by, he can be uh, a bit reckless, so I'll take over from here." As she nodded back, he turned and draped one of Prompto's arms over his shoulders, taking the majority of his weight. "Come on, you gotta work with me," he muttered, jolting the other slightly.

Prompto breathed deeply, but complied, shuffling his feet as they worked together in getting out of that place. And, the going was slow, but within about twenty minutes, they were standing before his door. "You have your key, right?" Gladio asked, nudging him lightly.

Nodding, he reached into his pocket and dropped it into Gladio's waiting hand, "Yeah," he murmured, "It's a little cold inside though," he gave his fair warning.

The brute hummed, signalling that he had heard him and unlocked the door, and saying it was cold was an understatement. He didn't even feel a difference in the temperature. "Damn," he bit out, reaching over instantly to flip the light on and getting no result. "Is your power out?" he asked more to himself.

"Was cut off yesterday," the blond replied casually, pulling himself away in order to fall over onto the couch and curl up.

"What?!" he had yelled a bit louder than he meant to, "Why the hell didn't you call anyone?"

One blue eye peeked up at him, "Did, called Noct," he sighed, turning to face the back of the couch. "No answer, so I went home."

The shield took a seat next to him, "And you didn't think about calling me or Iggy?" he questioned incredulously, "You know we have phones too."

"Couldn't, don't know your numbers."

"You don't have them saved?"

"Phone was stolen," he took a deep breath, clearly there was more to it than that. "It got snagged last night."

The larger man ran his fingers through his hair, "Really?" he asked rhetorically. "How does that even happen, you always have that thing on you, don't you?"

Prompto nodded, never looking over. "Went to go pay to have the lights turned back on, and...well...I'm not sure," he hesitated, admitting what happened a bit shameful, "I think I passed out, and everything was stolen." He wrapped around himself further, hiding his head deeper into the fabric. "But it's fine, I'm going to look for another job tomorrow, I think I have the day off."

"Another one?"

"Got fired," he responded quietly, the memory of the moment still hitting rather hard, "Happened last night, because I dropped some glasses," he held up a hand to show the small cuts adorning it, "So, gotta find another."

The other sat in silence, soaking it all in, "You are allowed to ask for help, you don't have to try and do all this by yourself," he reminded with a flat tone. "Any one of us aren't going to make a big deal out of lending money or assistance." He folded his arms and stood up with a grunt, "Come on, we're going to my place, and I'm calling the others, so grab what you think you'll need. You're not staying here though."

"It's alright, really," Prompto turned his head to gaze at the older, "In a day or say, I should be able to save up enough to pay everything off, might have to take some cleaning jobs, but it'll get taken care of, so don't worry about it." He waved a dismissive hand.

The other folded his arms, "Funny, I don't remember asking. Now, grab your things, or I'm gonna have to use force to get your ass moving." He set the kid with a sturdy and firm look, "Don't make me repeat myself."

Groaning, the blond pushed himself up, "Alright, I get it."

"Just...don't faint again," he swiftly added. Prompto hummed in reply and grabbed whatever clothes he had that were clean and tossed them into a small pile, and stopped as he walked by the kitchen table to look at the gifts he had for all of them aside from Noctis. He debated bringing them; there wasn't much seeing them here lately, so it might be his only opportunity before the holidays are over, so with a hard decision, he grabbed those as well.

With everything gathered and placed on the couch, he nodded to Gladio, "I think I'm ready," he went to pick everything up, but he was gently pushed aside as the shield scooped it all up in his arms.

"I got it," he said, cocking his head towards the door, "It's a bit of a walk, so maybe it's best if I call a cab," he offered. In fact, he didn't ask, he just put everything back down and pulled his phone out and quickly called the number. He made quick work of it and hung up. "It'll be a few minutes."

"Ok," Prompto sat back on the couch and leaned against the arm of it, a few coughs sounded out as he made himself comfortable.

* * *

He felt softness, unusual softness, and his fingers unwittingly traced over them as they didn't recognize the feel of them. Subtle panic began to run its course through him and his eyes shot open. And, the first thing he saw was light, insanely bright at that. "Wha-" he started, his throat objecting to the sudden use and caused him to cough a couple more times.

"Hey," he turned his head quickly to the side, his head protesting from the action. "Calm down," Noctis placed a hand on the blond's shoulder as he tried to sit up. "Prom, look, I am so sorry."

"For what?" Prompto croaked, scanning around to find the room empty aside from the prince, and this wasn't his room either.

The raven retrieved his phone form the table and held it up, "When you called last night, my phone was off, I was at some stupid gathering and I had to socialize, so I had it turned off; I didn't even hear the message until after Gladio got a hold of me. Didn't recognize the number, so I ignored it," the resentment could be heard dripping from his words. "Gladio told me everything, about the power the jobs, all of it. And what the hell were you thinking?"

"I needed the money," Prompto replied nonchalantly, "I had to pay bills and well..." he drifted off and looked away, "I was trying to save to get presents for everyone. So far, I only have something for the others..."

The prince narrowed his gaze, "You really think I'm going to be worried about that? I couldn't care less about getting a damn gift, not when you are literally working yourself to death." He took a deep breath to calm himself, "Look, all I know about is the coffee shop job, what others were you doing?"

Thanks to the slight feverish flush he already had, the blushing from embarrassment didn't come through, "I walked dogs in the afternoon and waited tables at night," he bit his lip nervously, "And, on weekends, or any free days, I'd go to clean houses when I could." It sounded weird saying it all out loud like that. "But, it wasn't as bad as it sound-"

"Prompto, you passed out in the street," he interrupted, not listening to any excuses, "Yes, Gladio told me about that as well. And, if that's what it takes for you to be independent, then it's not worth it. There's no shame in staying with someone."

"I know," he sighed, clearing his throat. Just as he opened his mouth to say something else, the door opened and he was greeted by the face of the adviser, looking just as unamused and disappointed as Noctis seemed to be.

In his hand he had a mug of something, not that Prompto could exactly smell at the moment, but Ignis saw him looking at it, "It's some herbal tea," he answered the unasked question, "It should help with the cold as well as your throat. And I'm making some broth; from the looks of it, you haven't had anything proper for a little while." Did he really look that bad? "Yes, it really shows," Ignis read the look on his face.

"Alright," the blond instantly gave in, he knew there was no arguing with the man, especially not when he was like this in his protective mode.

"Also, I already have someone going back to you place now to collect your things; we've decided you'll be staying here. It's a guest room in the Amicitia household. They've agreed to it, so there's no issues there. And you will be working 'one' job to help pay for cost, not two, and definitely not three. One." He stepped over to sit on the edge of the bed and pressed the cup into his hands, "Drink slowly."

Prompto only held it for a few seconds, unsure how to process all this info as he glanced between the three of them. "A-are you sure this is alright though?" he stuttered, eyes falling to stare at the contents of his mug.

"Yeah, it's fine," Gladio assured, stepping closer to pat him on the shoulder. So, this will be your room for a while, so you better get used to it."

Prompto nodded, his eyes widened a bit and he cut his eyes over after taking a sip of the teas and his eyes landed on the gifts he had wrapped in the corner. "Oh, right, Gladio, yours and Ignis' presents are over there. It's nothing special, but it's all I could afford," he sounded bashful as he again looked down while the shield stepped over to retrieve them. "You can, uh, open them if you want, or you can wait, up to you really."

The brute gave him a sideways smile and handed the adviser his own gift, "Well, I think now is as good a time as any," he shrugged and ripped the paper off in one tear; he gazed down at the book in his hand, and well, it was by his favorite author. "How did you even know?" he asked, genuinely impressed that he paid enough attention.

"I dunno, just saw that name on a bunch of the stuff you read. I wasn't sure if you had that one or not yet though, so sorry if it's a repeat."

"Nah, I actually don't," he lied, "One of the only ones I'm missing actually." He caught the pleased expression on the younger face before it was hidden behind his cup again, then his eyes flicked to the brunet, waiting on him. "Well, Ignis, let's see what you got."

"Right," he was a bit more elegant with his opening, taking his precious time with it. Slowly, a boxed up set of new knives was revealed. Not the best of quality, but they could get the job done. "Hmm," he hummed, turning the box in his hand, just the fact that he would even try to get them anything was nice enough for him, but the fact that he actually tried this hard meant more than he could describe. "You know, you didn't have to get us anything," he reminded needlessly.

"I know, but you guys deserve it," his face actually manage to darken in reddish hue this time around, "You guys actually deserve more, but it's the best I could do."

Gladio flipped through the pages, still putting on a the front of it being his first time seeing any of it, "Trust me, this is far more than enough."

"And Noctis, sorry, I had actually planned to get yours today, but after what happened last night," and just like that, his face fell again. "Yours will be late, but I promise, I'll get you something."

The prince quickly shook his head, "Dude, don't worry about it. All I want, all of us want, is for you to take care of yourself and not overdo it. Do that, and it will be enough, I assure you." He looked into the blond's face, not looking away until it was met, "You got that?"

Prompto slowly nodded, "Yeah, got it, but I'm also not good at listening," he added with a shrug and took another sip. "But," he changed his tone, "I promise I'll be more careful from now on, no more extra jobs," he agreed.

Noctis looked to the gifts the others held, and he tightened his mouth into a straight line, the realization that they got him nothing settling in. "I was thinking," he started, giving the other two a knowing look, "When you're better and everything, what do you say about the four of us going out and maybe getting some stuff to spruce this place up," he gazed around, grimacing at the drabness of the room. "And, it will be on us, of course, and that night, I can order Ignis to make something nice."

"I guess if I must," the adviser smiled, seeing what he was doing, "Whatever you'd like, I'm sure I can figure it out one way or another."

Prompto held his breath for a moment, trying to keep it together, and he had to fight the urge to deny the offer, but thought back to their short little lecture from earlier. "I think I'd like that," he bit his lip again, "Thanks guys, I'm going to owe you all big time." He glanced up to find all three giving him death glares, "...Or not."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uhhhhhh, so I think Imma stop taking requests until I can cut this list down a tad. XD Sorry, but it got pretty long, so just need some time to get a few done before opening it back up to new ones.
> 
> Queue as of now:
> 
> Prompto_Cam  
'Anonymous3'  
Mirai Lianna  
Touched  
Musiclife1988  
Shiary  
ScribeOfRhapsody  
ellaygee  
Hollypopstop  
Kloudia1  
laurelilith  
Kestrealbird  
Snow  
mabver321  
MasterThiefWolf  
Tabbys_desire  
the lazy one  
Crystal  
Ann  
'Anonymous4'  
Robin  
Luna the Wolf Mage  
FredrikssonT  
MsChievous  
NicoleBL


	16. Magic Fingers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gladio gets a bit of a special treatment from a couple of the guys when lugging around everything finally catches up. (No pairings, but if you squint, then yes, yes there is)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta read by: SinikkavonWolperting
> 
> Request for: Prompto-Cam
> 
> I AM NOT TAKING AN MORE REQUESTS AT THE MOMENT, I HAVE QUITE THE LIST AS IT IS. BUT ONCE I GET CAUGHT UP, I SHALL OPEN THEM BACK UP.

The shield let out a slightly stifled grunt as he swung his greatsword back out of existence. Once his arms were free of their burden, he rotated one after the other in an attempt to rid them of their kinks and strains, but to little avail. "Damn," he muttered, rolling his shoulders back in a last try at alleviating them of some of their tension. For now, he shoved his discomfort out of mind to glance over the aftermath of their most recent battle to assess the damages, and of course make sure all the others were still on their feet. Which, to his relief, everyone appeared to be mostly unharmed, aside form the occasional bruise and the rare cut here and there. Nothing that would require attention though at least.

"Everyone alright?" he huffed, giving them all one more glance over for good measure.

"Still in one piece," the prince bit out, clutching at a minor cut on his left arm, but it was nothing worth worrying over. "Man, this is getting ridiculous, it's almost everyday now isn't it?

Ignis hummed to himself, "It would appear they are getting quite determined as of late, but if I'm correct on this, they are also sending fewer and fewer each time. Perhaps their army is beginning to run a bit thin," he readjusted his glasses, "Or we can hope that to be the case at the very least."

"I say keep 'em coming, not like they're particularly difficult to handle after all," Prompto teased lightly, twirling his gun a few times before dismissing it. "Besides, they gotta run out eventually...right?" he cut his eyes over to the adviser, as if he truly did have the answers to all the world's problems.

"That's highly unlikely," he deadpanned, destroying the blond's hopes on the subject. "If that were the case, they would still be sending these after us."

Sighing heavily, Prompto folded his hands behind his head, "Yeah, I guess you're right."

The adviser flicked his focus upwards, giving it a quick scan to make sure it was clear of any additional enemies, and on the bright side it was rather clear, but on the flip side, it was becoming rather dim out. He hadn't realized how much time they had actually spent here, enough for it to begin growing dark, that much was obvious. "I suggest we go gather our camping equipment from the Regalia and find a haven to crash for the night; I doubt there's enough time left in the day to make it back to a motel before night is upon us."

"Really? Do we have to sleep on the ground again. This is what? The third time in a row now?"

"Quit yer whinin' and get movin'," Gladio gave the younger a light punch in the upper left arm, but it was him that let out a small gasp at the dull throb that was sent down his arm.

This caught the blond's attention, "You...uh, you alright there?" he hesitantly asked, genuinely a little shocked at the small grunt of pain.

"Yeah, yeah, muscles are just a bit sore. It'll work itself out," he waved a hand, brushing it off. But, he still tried to stretch them out a bit more before heading forward, "We should probably hurry up, losing light fast and we'll still have to set things up," he reminded, knowing full well that with their lack of skill when it came to the outdoors, they'd be little help with the preparation of things, causing it to take even longer than it should.

"I won't argue with that," Noctis spoke up, taking his hand away from his arm to assess the damage, sighing out in relief to see the bleeding had stopped on its own. Well, at least they wouldn't have to worry about wasting a potion on something so minimal. "Specs, any idea where a haven even is?" he asked, not recalling having seen any on the way out here.

Ignis straightened out his sleeves with a sideways glance in the direction of their car, "Yes, as a matter fact, I do. We passed by one a few minutes back, but if I recall correctly, you weren't awake to witness it."

Noctis scoffed and waved a hand, "Yeah sure, whatever you say," he rolled his eyes as he followed a step behind the strategist, "As long as you don't expect us to be walking the whole way there."

"Any other time, I'd suggest that, but given how quickly it's darkening, I doubt that would be a very wise option," he unknowingly picked up his pace, unconsciously speeding up to make sure they didn't get caught off guard. "But, the more you moan and complain about it, the longer it'll take," he tossed over his shoulder at the sound of another mumble.

As they walked, Prompto frequently cast a curious glance in the brute's direction, noticing the way he was still trying to subtly stretch his arms ad shoulders out. A groan or a light hiss would sound out at spaced intervals, but nothing too suspicious, still though, they didn't go completely unnoticed. "Sooooo," he slowed down just enough to be walking right next to the larger man, "Still kinda sore, are we?" he averted his gaze as he asked.

"That is what I said," he replied matter-of-factly, "It's only been a couple minutes, they didn't magically just stop."

"Oh, I know, I know. But, well, you sure seem to be trying aaaawwfully hard not to draw any attention to it," he nudged the man in the arm with his elbow.

"Yeah, because it's not a big deal," he shrugged, wincing instantly with the action. "Muscles get sore, it's what happens when, you know, you actually use them," he teased with his own nudge back at the smaller, almost toppling him over with the unexpected jab.

He cried out in surprise, but managed to catch himself before he had the chance to stumble over, "Hey, careful, I'm fragile." He rubbed at the offending area in mock hurt and quickly hopped back to his previous position next to the shield. "Seriously though, please don't overdo it, because I'm not carrying you if anything happens."

"Prompto, it's not like I'm bleeding out, don't worry," he offered him a small smile, "It's fine."

The gunner sighed heavily but turned his gaze to face ahead of them, "Alright, if you say so," he quickened back up to take up the space that had formed between them and the other two. Back in front of the man, he still made out the occasional hiss or groan, but chose to ignore them for the time being.

It only took a few more minutes before they could make out the Regalia in the distance, and to say Noctis was thrilled to see it was a bit of an understatement. It meant they were one step closer to calling it a night. His steps became longer and quicker, allowing him to reach it long before the others, but in his haste, he forgot that Ignis was the one who held the keys and ended up having to wait anyway. So, he stood there, tapping his foot impatiently with his arms crossed. "My, you sure got far," Ignis said with a smirk, keys in hand.

"Well, if you guys weren't so slow," he retorted, hopping in the moment he heard that 'click'. The others swiftly followed suit, and with that, they were off. Well, for a couple minutes at least before they again pulled over. And again, the prince was the first to start grabbing things.

"Someone's being useful for once," Gladio teased, grabbing a few of the heavier things with a slight flinch, but other than that, showed no signs of discomfort.

Prompto strolled up next to him to grab a few things from the trunk himself, "You got it?" he asked quiet enough so the others couldn't hear, "You know, you don't have to carry all that, right? There are others perfectly capable..." he glanced from the stuff in the man's arms to his own free hand.

"I got this," he huffed stubbornly, using his elbow to shut the trunk.

"Sure you do," the younger sighed, making sure he had a good grip on his own baggage and quickly caught up to the others. He made sure to trail a bit behind the man this time, on the off chance that he actually dropped something or if a miracle happened and he admitted that a bit of help would be appreciated for once in his life. But, that never happened, he never even so much as voiced his pain again or readjust anything for that matter. Now, Prompto knew he was just trying to put on a front, it was the only logical explanation.

He kept his eye on him regardless, because he knew the time would come, and there would be no denying that he needed help, and he'd be there to say that he told him so. So intent on watching for a sign, he barely noticed when the man came to a halt and he nearly tripped over his own feet in an attempt to stop fast enough. "A bit of warning next time," he exclaimed.

"Or you can just look where you're going," the shield shot back, a glint of amusement in his eye.

Prompto's mouth opened and closed in a loss of how to respond, "W-whatever," he stammered, rounding the man to walk in front of him in order to drop off his bags with an exaggerated groan of satisfaction once he could stretch out his arms again.

"Man, we can already hardly see a thing out here," Noctis already started complaining, they knew it wouldn't take him long, but this had to be some sort of record.

"Like I said," Gladio grunted, placing his own things down, "Less whining and more doing," he began pulling out the pieces for the tent as he spoke and got to work setting things up. As he started hammering in the first stake, and the others were off doing their own thing, the blond once again drifted awfully close, lips pursed in a knowing manner. Each strike the man took sent another wave up through his arm to produce painful jolts.

"I can take over," he held out his hand to take the hammer, "I'm not doing anything. And besides, the fire still needs to be started, and we all know you're the best at that."

"We have matches," the shield stopped long enough to glance at him with an arched eyebrow, "Pretty sure you can handle that. Or at least, I would expect you to be able to do that much," he turned to bring the tool down once again, this time unable to subdue the light hiss that seeped out between clenched teeth.

Prompto crouched down next to him, instantly drawing his attention over to give him a sly smile, "And I thought you could handle a little bit of hammering, but that doesn't look to be the case either," in a moment of forgetfulness, he clapped the brute on the back, earning a minor gasp of surprise, "Ah, sorry," he swiftly apologized. "So, how bad is it?" he cut right to the chase, still keeping his voice to a minimum to keep it between the two of them.

"I told you, it's not that bad, probably just a pulled muscle," he reached his free hand back to lightly prod at it.

"Want a potion for that?" he suggested, getting ready to go fetch one if need be.

"No, it'll fix itself, it always does. This isn't the first time this has happened, and every time, I let it take care of itself," he shrugged with his less strained side. "But, if you are honestly that worried about it, then here," he tossed the hammer over, the blond almost dropping it before he managed to get a good grip on it.

A little surprised by the exchange, Prompto started at it for a moment before it had fully registered, Alright, not a problem, I got this," he gave the man a quick thumbs up and a not so convincing smile.

"Just try not to break any fingers."

"Well...I'll try my best," he raised the hammer and gave it a quick little tap, a test you could say.

A small chuckle left the brute's form, "You have to hit a bit harder than that."

"I know that," he raised the hammer again and brought down, this time with much more force than the first time, "I'm just trying to get into the swing of it." He looked over to see the man staring at him, face void of humor. "I get it, that was a terrible joke, but you gotta give me credit for trying."

Gladio hummed in response as he began rummaging around in one of the bags in search of the matches, "I don't gotta give you anything." Digging around a little bit more, his fingers finally glanced over what he needed and he retrieved them with a silent cheer to himself. "Just let me know if you need me to take back over."

"I doubt I'll need to, but I'll keep that in mind," he gave another solid smack with the hammer, the vibration sending a shudder through his arm. He never realized just how tedious and arduous this was, so he couldn't fathom doing it with an injured shoulder; it was a wonder he had held up this long without throwing in the towel. "Yup, this is no problem, never understood what all the fuss was about," he muttered, mostly to himself.

The shield grinned to himself as he listened to the blond's ramblings going on behind him and couldn't help but find a good amount of entertainment in his sayings. Before it was all said and done though, he did end up having to call Noctis over to help him, finding that pitching a tent solo wasn't quite as easy as it looked. Of course there were a few moans and groans from the princess, but he did what he could to assist, and not without the vocal guidance of the big guy himself.

"There we go," Prompto announced, placing his hands victoriously on his hips as he stared at the precarious looking shelter, "See? No big deal."

"And, it only took you five more minutes than it took me to cook a meal," Ignis made sure to rain on his parade the moment he was able. "All of you, hurry up before it gets cold, it's already been sitting here long enough as it is."

Shrugging, Prompto turned on his heel and stopped once he was next to Gladio, "It didn't actually take that long, did it?"

"Yeah, it kinda did. Hell, it's practically morning now."

He went to nudge the man in the arm, but stopped when he remembered the soreness of everything, "Shuddup, I tried, and I think it looks fiiiine. Now, think you ca handle picking up a bowl, or should I do that for you too," there was no way he was going to pass up these opportunities for teasing, and he was going to take advantage of it while he still could. Even though he knew the moment it was over he'd have to pay for it. But, it was worth the risk.

Instead of gracing the younger with a response, the man reached out to ruffle his hair as he walked by, a lot rougher than was necessary. "Hey!" he instantly cried out, using both hands to shove the other away, "Cut it out."

"I'm not a cripple, dammit," he finally used his words, "I think I can pick up a bowl."

"Suit yourself," the blond barely paid attention, now too busy with fixing his do that now leaned strangely in the opposite direction in which it should. "Just don't come crying to me when you need more help with something." He followed after the shield, scooping up his own bowl and taking the seat next to him once he sat.

And, dinner went on as per usual, the conversations, the jokes and the comfortable silence played out in the normal pattern. Once they were all finished and everything was being cleaned up, Gladio again did a fairly impressive job of playing off any pains he had and never once voiced his aches to the others, but there was still that stiffness to his movements that couldn't really be hidden, and it was something even Noctis was starting to pick up on. Ignis, too, had been aware of this, only he chose not to comment on it, knowing what a prideful man he was. And, if it were him, he'd have much preferred to deal with it himself in silence as well. However, the younger two weren't quite as mindful of that privacy.

"Gladio, what is going on with you?" Noctis asked, casting a quizzical glance towards him when he accidentally let out a small hiss when he picked up a bag, finding it to be quite a bit heavier than he had expected.

"What? I'm not allowed to stub a toe every now and then?" he shot back, trying to sound somewhat offended.

"You're wearing shoes," the prince pointed out, not buying it.

The shield was about to come up with another excuse, but Prompto beat him to it, "Looks like his compensation with that big-ass sword finally caught up with him," he laughed, clapping the man on the shoulder without thinking, "Ah, crap, sorry, I keep forgetting," he blurted out at the gasp he was greeted with for the action.

"Prompto, how about you just stop touching me," he asked, hand lightly rubbing the area.

"We have pain killers," the adviser reminded, "Upon other aids, no need to be like Noctis and be stubborn to the point of stupidity," he sighed, ignoring the glaring eyes on the back of his head.

Folding his arms, he gave the man one of his 'you know better than that' stares, "It'll be fine by morning," he deadpanned, obviously he was already growing sick of the unasked for coddling. "All I need is a bit of sleep, and I'll be good as new."

"Pft, yeah, ok," the prince shrugged with a yawn. "Well, you do whatever you want. I, however, am going to bed," he crawled in the tent, one hand waving to the others with a tired, "Night."

"Welp, I'm following his example," Prompto bid them a goodnight as well before climbing in after the raven, leaving the two older men to themselves.

Now relatively alone, Gladio let out a relieved sigh, allowing himself to slump slightly and attempt to alleviate the strain on his muscles. "Why don't you take a seat," Ignis offered, cocking his head to one of the chairs, "I think I know something that may help." He didn't move until he saw the larger finally comply, and with a roll of his eyes, he headed over and sank longingly into the comfort of it, instantly leaning back to let the furniture do all the supporting.

He felt a couple hands slink over his shoulders, "Whoa, what the hell are you doing?!" he half yelled, flinching away from the unexpected touch, only to wince and hiss form the pain of the sudden movement.

"Oh, relax will you, I told you, I'm only trying to help. Keep a level head," Ignis replied, slight annoyance in his voice at the insinuation. "This isn't going to feel very nice, I can assure, but it will tomorrow...as long as you sit still and allow me to do what I must," he muttered under his breath.

Slowly, Gladio eased back once again, "As long as you don't get too handsy, then I'm willing to let you do whatever you need to," he subtly teased.

The brunet let out a frustrated sigh, but ignored that little comment and set to work. With the grace that he had been endowed with, he worked his thumbs into sore and tight muscle, gently trying to massage some of the tension from them. Of course, he'd have to start getting a little rougher with it for it to really make a difference, but he did what he could to work towards that gradually. "This shouldn't take too long," he promised, seeing as this was awkward for the both of them.

"Take your time," Gladio closed his eyes, finally starting to enjoy himself, been a while since he's had treatment like this, and needless to say it was quite welcomed. "I think I could get used to this," he uttered after a small groan when a more than a little tight knot was pressed on. But, the moment the pressure was removed, the tingly sensation it left behind left him desiring more.

"I wouldn't count on this becoming a regular thing," Ignis promptly informed, "In fact, this may just be a one time thing."

"Why did I know you'd say that?" he asked rhetorically, sinking a little further down.

"I'm almost done," he spent only a few more seconds grinding his fingers into muscle before he pulled them away and brushed his hands together, "Alright, there we have it. And, by tomorrow, hopefully it will be back to normal. And, if not, it's as I said, we have pain killers and other curatives. Those should also do the trick if this didn't."

Gladio breathed out in disappointment, "Well, it didn't hurt to hope for another treatment like this," he smirked and nodded his head to the side. "But, I guess this will do. Thanks, by the way," he headed off towards the tent now, "I think it's about time for me to knock out too, see if this little trick of yours actually worked." He went to duck under, but stopped and turned his attention back to the other, "Not a word," he almost threatened.

"I wouldn't dream of it," Ignis assured, bidding the man a goodnight with a small wave and a subtle nod.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Queue as of now:
> 
> 'Anonymous3'  
Mirai Lianna  
Touched  
Musiclife1988  
Shiary  
ScribeOfRhapsody  
ellaygee  
Hollypopstop  
Kloudia1  
laurelilith  
Kestrealbird  
Snow  
mabver321  
MasterThiefWolf  
Tabbys_desire  
the lazy one  
Crystal  
Ann  
'Anonymous4'  
Robin  
Luna the Wolf Mage  
FredrikssonT  
MsChievous  
NicoleBL


	17. For Your Own Good

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> During a bit of a heated training session, Gladio takes it a bit too far, and the others have a few words for him. o3o

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta read by: Sinikka_von_Wolperting  
(Her Tumblr )
> 
> Request for: Anonymous 3

"Alright, Noct, you gotta watch my movement," Gladio exhaled in exasperation, as if they'd been through this countless times as it were, "You can't just recklessly charge at me. I'm reading you like a book when you do that." He flung his greatsword over his shoulder to signal their short break.

The prince relaxed more as well, dismissing his sword as he folded his arms over his chest. "I don't see the big deal, it works on everything else, doesn't it?" he asked in annoyance. "You're the only one it doesn't, but that's because you're just used to it," he shrugged to turn on his heel and headed back towards the camp.

"You still are just as naive," Gladio muttered.

Noctis stopped on the spot to glare back over his shoulder, "What? What's the big deal? If it works, then I don't see a problem with the way I do things," his voice was quickly taking a defensive tone, and the other could practically see the tension in his body begin to form.

"Because I'm your shield, not your babysitter. If someone with the same skill level as myself comes along and I'm not around, then what are you gonna do?" he raised his own voice a small amount, trying to drill his point in without overdoing it this time. "What? You're just gonna do the same exact stuff you do with me? You stick to one strategy and apply it to every battle, and it's not going to end well."

"I'll worry about that when the time comes then," he replied nonchalantly, meaning to head back to the camp, but the sound of rushing steps caught him off guard. He barely managed to jump back before the 'swoosh' from the force of the man's blade did any damage. "What the hell?!" he blurted out, instinctively drawing his own sword back. "You could have killed me," he took a few more steps back, his voice low and a little shocked.

The other grunted as he straightened back up, "If it happened to be someone other than myself, yeah, you could have been killed. Now, this time, I want you to do more than just dodge it," he didn't give the prince the chance to give his go ahead and he was rushed towards him again only turn at the last second to come in from a different angle. Luckily, he snapped to it fast enough to at least block this one, their faces just mere inches from one another. Noctis narrowed his eyes at the sight of the fire in the others. He grit his teeth in both irritation and struggle just as Gladio pushed away to stand a few feet away.

His temper and impatience taking over, Noctis didn't take the time to give Gladio a chance to come at him again; this time around, he was going to force him to go on the defensive. Turning his blade over in his hand, he fell right back into his comfortable style of fighting, and just went for it. The moment he was close enough, he slashed down, smiling lightly to himself when it seemed as thought it just might give the man a run for his money.

His face swiftly faltered, his attack missing widely, the guy seemingly to just vanish from the spot. But, it was the next thing that made time almost stand still; he felt...pain. And, not the usual one would feel from training; such as sore muscles and the like. He didn't know how to react, so he just stood there, his eyes slowly wandering down to his side where he could see red already beginning to gather, slowly spreading across his jacket.

"Noct?" Gladio asked, concerned by his sudden lack in movement. It didn't take long of scanning him over to see the blood accumulating at his side. "A-Are you alright?" he dismissed his sword to rush over to his side.

The prince's hand wandered down to grip at it, the full burning sensation of it finally hitting him. "Dammit," he uttered, cupping his hand over the wound. The shield's hand lightly touched his shoulder, and he swiftly pulled himself away. "Don't you think you've done enough?" he bit stepping away, brows furrowed in barely controlled anger. He staggered back, but managed to stay on his feet.

Gladio huffed out a breath, "Look, things got a bit out of hand, alright? So let's just get you back and get that taken care of." He tried to reason with him, but that didn't prevent the guilt from gnawing at the outskirts of his heart.

"I can go back myself." he seethed, shoving by Gladio, stumbling in the process.

"Stop being stubborn, you're bleeding all over the place," his shield grabbed his upper arm to prevent him from moving on, "This is the kind of stuff I was talking about happening if you just stick to one way. If this had been someone el-"

Again, he snatched himself away, "It wasn't someone else. If you had just let it go, then this wouldn't have happened," he growled lowly, staring straight into amber eyes.

"It's not like I intended to actually hut you," he spoke lowly as well; quiet and precise.

"Let go," the raven demanded, the fire in his eyes blazing by this point. Gladio only granted as he finally released his hold, but he didn't take his eyes away. Even as the other turned his attention in the other direction and started unsteadily making his way back, he still kept a close eye on him. Once Noctis was far enough away, he let out a heavy sigh and slowly started making his own way over. They weren't exactly far away, but it was still quite a journey for someone with a gash in their side.

By the time he was close enough to be withing eyesight of the others, the both of them immediately noticed that something wasn't right. It was the way he was walking, almost with a slight limp, as if applying too much weight to one side was too much to bear. It took both of them no less that thirty seconds to get to him. "Dude, w-what happened," Prompto asked with out hesitation, his voice slightly pitched with panic as he tried to take some of his weight for him.

"Prom, calm down, i-it's nothing," he lowered his gaze, avoiding eye contact.

At the first sight of the blood, Ignis narrowed his eyes. "How did that occur?" he questioned, crouching down to inspect it more closely. Then he noticed it was only him who returned, "And where's Gladio?" He couldn't help but be a tad worried, afraid that perhaps they had been ambushed by something, "Is he alright?"

"He's fine," Noctis spat, meaning to head forward once again.

The blond let out a small noise as Noctis shoved him aside as well, wanting to just get back already. Shifting uncomfortably on the spot, he turned to where he had come from, his eyes easily picking up on the shield's much larger frame finally approaching. He was about to wave him over, but the same gloom was lingering around him as well.

"Noct," the adviser called out, ignoring his clear and obvious lack of cooperation right now, "Did Gladio do that?" Said man merely glanced back into his face for a few seconds, and without saying a word, just turned back around and continued on. Ignis exhaled slowly and turned to Prompto. "Go make sure Noct is alright, get him a potion as well, and some water. I'll be back shortly."

"Y-yeah," the blond sighed, very aware of the controlled emotions of the strategist. And, even though he did well enough to hide his bubbling rage, he kept up a cool and collected facade. He swallowed thickly, not liking where this was going, and did as he was asked.

Ignis had his focus solely on the brute right now, his feet carrying over briskly, yet still at a calm and leisurely pace. Gladio didn't have to ask, if the man was willing to meet him half way instead of just waiting for him to get back, then he knew he was in for more lecturing than he had first anticipated. "Yeah, yeah, I know," he said before the other had the chance to begin.

"For some reason, I find that quite hard to believe," Ignis retorted, "Do you have no restraint?" he rhetorically asked, folding his arms.

"It was bound to happen sooner or later," Gladio ground out, his temper still flaring form Noctis pulling the same shit. "He needs to be prepared to get hurt."

If it were possible, the man seemed to look even deeper into him. "Not by the man who's supposed to be protecting him," he needlessly reminded. "Who needs enemies when your own comrades are shedding your blood." He waited for another reply, but one never came; the larger was too busy trying not to lash out most likely. "You're both lucky it wasn't worse than it was," he finished with that, and intended to start heading back to check on the prince, finding that to be a much more important priority.

"He's not a child," Gladio spoke up, just as that first step was taken, "He needs to start stepping it up a few notches if he wants to make it out there one day."

"With the way you train, he may not make it to that point," and with that, Ignis was done; he didn't have the patience to take it any further. He got his point across, and that's all he intended to do. "I need to get back to His Highness now, and make sure he's alright."

Gladio's hands tightened into fists at his side. He was doing nothing but babying the man; he had to grow up sooner or later, and to him, that meant intensifying his training and no longer holding back. But, to be fair, he had expected Noctis to have been able to at least dodge the attack mostly. He breathed heavily through his nose and shook his head before heading in a different direction, needing to sit alone for a bit. He was pretty sure he wasn't exactly welcomed back at their camp for the time being.

* * *

He gently handed a vial over, making sure Noctis had a grip on it before he pulled his hand away. "You got it?" Prompto asked, leaving his fingers to hover nearby just to be on the safe side.

"Yeah, Prom, I do," he assured, a bit of a bitter edge to his voice. He gave the potion a solid squeeze, and winced as the familiar warm tingles enveloped him. His teeth dug lightly into his lip to avoid any gasps or an other displeasurable sounds. Once the sensation faded, he let out a soft sigh.

Without asking for permission, the blond lifted his shirt to look at the wound for himself, "W-what are you doing?" Noctis blurted out, yanking the material out of his hand to pull it back down.

"You know...just making sure it's closed...in case you need another," he shifted his eyes and pursed his lips. "You never know," he shrugged. Then he remembered the other part of what Ignis had asked him to do. "Ah," he stood up and strolled over to their belongings, "Water. You should probably have some of that, it's kinda important." Finding a filled bottle of it, he grinned to himself, and skipped back over to place it in the prince's hand much like he had the potion.

He nodded his thanks and swiftly unscrewed the cap to take a few generous sips. Once he had enough, he sat it on the ground, wincing slightly when the movement pulled at his still tender side. "Son of..." he mumbled under his breath.

"So," Prompto began, curiosity never leaving his mind, "What exactly happened out there?" He looked back to the darkened stains on his jacket, the tear of it being of a reasonable size.

The prince leaned back, "What does it look like. The guy over did it, and that's all there is to it." He went to feel the area, flinching at the stickiness and utter disgusting feeling of the fabric. Completely grossed out by it, he leaned forward just enough to be able to wiggle his way out of it. "Hey, think you can get me a clean shirt?" he asked, tossing this one off to the side.

"Sure, no problem," he replied without delay, heading back over to their backs to start rummaging through them. "You know...I'm sure Gladio didn't, ya know, mean to do it," he kept his voice low, uncertain on how Noctis would take that.

"I know he didn't do it on purpose," he surprisingly answered, "But, he still did it, and he's supposed to be teaching me how to fight, not forgetting his own strength." That last part was a bit more stubborn, and more along the lines of what the other had expected to hear.

Instead of discussing the subject further, Prompto only nodded and focused on finding that shirt. Just as he found what he was looking for, Ignis came strolling back, his steps slightly more weighted than either of them were used to. "How are you feeling, Noct?" he got straight to the point, not bothering to hide his concern when his eyes wandered down to his tattered shirt.

"I'll be fine," he promised, looking away. He a little less than gently took the outstretched shirt from Prompto's hand and quickly threw it on over his head. "It's closed now, so it's over with." His own gaze subtly flicked around, seeing if the shield was anywhere within view, and a little bit of tension fled him when he didn't spot the man.

"That's good to hear," the adviser sounded relieved, "But, I still want to take a look at it and make sure everything is in order. Noctis seemed annoyed by the request, but with the extra stress his body was under from the injury, he found it easier to just let the man have his way; it was better for everyone that way.

While he did that, the gunner followed his example in glancing around. His eyes darted around the camp and then wandered a bit farther off until he spotted the humanoid figured plopped on the ground a good distance away. "I...I'll be right back," he tossed them a small wave, neither of which were really paying him much mind right then anyway, but he didn't notice it too much himself. His pace started off as upbeat and cheerful, but the closer he got, the more he could physically feel the air change. "G-Gladdy?" he tried to get his attention without being too intrusive on his space.

"What, am I getting a lecture from you as well?" he half joked, rocking back to place his hands out behind him. He turned his attention just enough to see the other, "Well, go on, I'm listening."

Prompto bit the inside of his cheek at the bite in his tone. "Nah," he brushed off, trying to keep that positivist in his voice, "Just, wanted to see what you were up to." He slowly sat down next to the man, watching him for an indication that he wasn't welcomed to join him and received none. And, for a little bit, that's all they did, sat there in silence, staring off as the sun slowly raised higher in the sky.

The younger glanced over at the inhale next to him, and his ears perked up in preparation for the words do come, "So, how his he?"

"Noct?" of course, who else was he talking about, "Oh, he's fine I guess. Or, at least he seemed fine to me," he offered the man a kind grin. "He's still a bit upset though," and his expression turned back over, "But, he'll get over it eventually."

"I suppose so," he agreed, but he didn't sound too convinced of it, "I think I may have screwed up." He hated to admit it, but with the way the others were taking it, maybe he was actually in the wrong on this one. "But, I don't take back what I said, he has to be ready for that kind of stuff. And, as much as it hurts to say this, we've already seen what can come from...traitors." He took a moment to gather his composure, "It's never for certain when someone you thought you could trust might turn on you, so he has to understand the importance of knowing his opponents, even if that opponent is an ally."

The smaller nodded along, understanding where the man was coming from...they all knew about that. "Why don't you tell them that then?" he asked, "I'm sure they'd be willing to listen, and they might even see where you're coming...from...then," he slowly trailed off, the feeling of trying to give advice to someone just coming off as strange to him. Since when was he the type to do this. "I mean, I don't know much about it or anything, and this is just me taking a shot in the dark, but...it might work," he rambled, quickly sliding into the realm of embarrassment.

Gladio actually snorted at that, "Yeah, you think they'll actually listen right now? You've seen them, they're pissed. I doubt you could convince them of a fire right now, even if it were on their own heads."

Prompto let out a small chuckle at the image of that, "You might be right on that one. I guess it would be best to give them a moment then, once they calm down."

"Yeah."

With a small groan, his legs stiff from sitting down like that, the blond got to his feet. "Well, I think I'm going to head back, wanna come with?" he looked down, a subtle amount of urging in his eyes, "Can't sit out here foreverrrr."

The other rolled his eyes, but pushed himself up as well, "Fine, but only because this spot is uncomfortable. And don't expect a warm welcome from the others when we get over there."

"I wasn't expecting anything else," he shrugged, "I'm sure it'll work out though." He unexpectedly clapped the shield on the back, "Come on."

Together, they made their way close to the others, Prompto taking the lead on this one, knowing they'd be a bit less aggressive if Gladio was at least a tad bit obscured. So far, they didn't seem to notice, and if they did, they did a damn good job of not reacting. He stopped right on the outside, "Uh, guys?" He wanted to get their attention, but didn't want to interrupt anything should they still be in a bit of a sour mood.

"Hmm?" Noctis asked, refusing to turn around, knowing full well that Prompto wasn't alone, "What do you want?" That clearly wasn't directed at him either.

Furrowing his brows, Gladio stepped around the much smaller man. "What I want is for you to hear me out for once," he left all gentleness behind. "Look, I understand it doesn't feel nice to take a hit from one of your own comrades, but you also need to understand-"

"Understand what?" Noctis snapped back, not providing him with the opportunity to explain, "Understand that at any moment you can lose your damn mind and attack me like that?"

There was a small, yet visible flinch at that, but he didn't back down this time. "Yes," he replied confidently, "That's exactly what you need to get through that thick skull of yours. You will be the king one day, and I'm sure you more than anyone are aware that your people, people you trust with your protection and life can turn on you." Now it was the raven's turn to wince, "And I'm saying this for your own good. What I did was nothing compared to what can happen."

"Gladio, that's enou-" Ignis went to step in, but the brute's arm effectively blocked his path, cutting him off.

"No, it's not. It's not enough until he gets it."

"I do get it, alright," he snapped, jumping to his feet and only stumbling slightly, "I understand it perfectly."

Gladio nodded curtly, "Then I suggest you start acting like it." And that was it, he said what he wanted to, now all that was left was to let it sit with him for a while. Sure, Noctis wasn't going to be happy about it, and he was going to hold a grudge for a while, but like Prompto said, he'd get over it. And, when he did, maybe he'd even thank him for it.

He went to sit on one of the chairs, no one stopping him, and no one saying a word; even the adviser had backed down now, knowing he had a point. Still, there was that inkling of disappointment at the fact that he had in fact hurt the prince. Of course, nothing could be done about it, and he just hoped it would serve as a lesson.

The blond nodded to himself, at least glad that things hadn't escalated anymore. Everyone was a bit tense though, and there was still thickness in the air. So, maybe it didn't settle quite as much as he had hoped it would, but he supposed it was a start. Everything was out in the air instead of bottled up, and now everyone could ponder it for the day. Who knows, perhaps things could be normal again come night time. He doubted it, but it didn't hurt to hope.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uhhhhhh, so I think Imma stop taking requests until I can cut this list down a tad. XD Sorry, but it got pretty long, so just need some time to get a few done before opening it back up to new ones. But, if you have questions or anything, you can reach me on Tumblr  
as well.
> 
> Queue as of now:
> 
> Mirai Lianna  
Touched  
Musiclife1988  
Shiary  
ScribeOfRhapsody  
ellaygee  
Hollypopstop  
Kloudia1  
laurelilith  
Kestrealbird  
Snow  
mabver321  
MasterThiefWolf  
Tabbys_desire  
the lazy one  
Crystal  
Ann  
'Anonymous4'  
Robin  
Luna the Wolf Mage  
FredrikssonT  
MsChievous  
NicoleBL


	18. Not Good Enough

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompto slips up in a battle, and Gladio has a few choice words for him. Prompto, being him, takes it a bit to much to heart and ends up pushing himself too far.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta read by: Sinikka_von_Wolperting
> 
> (She also has a Tumblr )
> 
> Request for: Mirai Lianna

"Gah!" the blond cried out, leaping out of the way just a fraction of a second before the blade could strike against the ground. He let out a nervous chuckle as he glanced back to the disturbed earth, right where he had just been standing; way too close for comfort, there was no denying that. Blue eyes trailed up the length of the katana to rest upon their enemy. This time, they had the wonderful pleasure of fighting a Ronin, because of course they did. "Hey Noct," he called over without running the risk of taking his attention off the daemon, "You good over there?"

He got a grunt in reply followed by, "Yeah, just dandy." He brushed the back of his hand over his left cheek in order to swipe away a thin trail of blood. Another small blossom swiftly replaced it, sparing no time.

Prompto flashed him a quick grin, satisfied that things were going relatively well; he cut his eyes over to see the other two dealing with the carbon copy of their opponent. One was usually bad enough, so the fact that they were blessed with two was just the cherry on top. And, no surprise, but they seemed to be fairing quite a bit better then himself and Noctis has been. They both had a few cuts here and there, nothing too major, but it definitely proved they weren't as well experienced as the older guys.

Turning his focus back to the task at hand, the tall figure was slowly sauntering back towards them, at an oddly slow pace at that...which was odd, but he wasn't complaining. In fact, this gave him the perfect opportunity. With a sly smirk on his face, he pulled his camera out and made sure to still keep a bit of distance between the two of them. "Say cheese," he aimed, and snapped the photo, and as soon as the flash faded, his world spun before him, as he was thrust to the ground. He vaguely heard the sound of his own name being called out in a panic, but that was it.

He didn't know what the hell had just happened, it came out of nowhere whatever it was. There was a slight weight draped over him, and the familiar sight of raven colored hair. "Noct?" he asked, fear coursing through him when there was no immediate response. "Hey," he tried again, beginning to grow worried, and he nudged the prince, his frantic state escalating as he picked up on the sound of the Ronin nearby.

"Dammit," he grit out, shoving Noctis aside with a quick apology under his breath and had his gun pointed at the figure. A few shots rang out, and he was sure they hit due to the staggers as it stepped back. But, it continued to raise its blade. "Alright, buddy, whenever you wanna get up, that'd be great," he laughed lightly again, humor completely diminished from his tone.

The gunner sighed, he honestly didn't know what he was expecting. So, guess this was up to him, and he prayed that he'd be able to at least keep it at bay long enough for the others to finish up with theirs and rush over. Or...even better. "Gladdy!" he shouted, not caring about his dignity at the time, there was no way he'd be able to protect both himself as well as Noctis, not with his skill level anyway.

He wasn't sure if his call for assistance was heard or not, but regardless, he'd still have to hold out long enough for the man to arrive. At first, the thought of hefting the raven over his shoulder and hauling it crossed his mind, but the idea of being able to outrun that thing with someone else's weight on him was laughable. Instead, he stood his ground, intending to stay right where he was, standing guard over the prince no matter what. Or, at least until he got the attention primarily on him and him alone.

To start off with, pelting it with a few bullets might be a viable option, and with the shortened space between them, there wasn't the option of pondering on it further. In quick succession, he fired shot after shot, all of which hit without issue, but it barely managed to cause its step to falter in the slightest; in fact, it hardly phased it. "Come on," he groaned, with another glance to the other, who still hadn't moved, and he was really starting to become concerned now.

He took an unintentional step back as the Ronin approached, its sword now gradually raising up and over its head, and everything appeared to play out in slow motion. The only thing he could think of to do in that moment was to do whatever it took in order to protect Noctis and assure his well-being; that primarily being to cover most of his body as much as he were able. There wasn't time to do anything aside from drop down and wait for the strike to come.

It never did, there was no pain, no indication that the blow had been made.

"Get yer ass up, and get him out of here," Prompto cracked an eye up to meet the well-developed back of Gladio standing before him. And, it took him a moment more to realize he was blocking the attack, his arms shuddering the slightest amount. "Get the wax out of your ears," he growled under his breath, "Get Noctis away from here." The blond flinched at the slight edge to his voice, but gave a curt nod and began carrying out his task.

He huffed out a breath as he lifted Noctis and draped him over one shoulder, his arm wrapped securely around his waist to keep him from slipping down. And, half dragging him, he made his way towards the adviser, who he now realized was finished up and making his way over to meet him halfway. "What happened?" the brunet asked instantly without so much as a second thought.

"I-I'm not sure," Prompto stuttered, just now realizing the trail of red running down the side of the prince's face. "I think, uh, I think he pushed me out of the way," he added, piecing it together now, and had to look away, guilt now gripping unforgivingly at his chest.

Ignis glanced up with a questioning glint in his emerald gaze, but he never voiced whatever was itching at the tip of his tongue. He had a priority, and at the moment, that main concern was the prince. "We need to get him back to a haven, get him somewhere safe before checking anything out," he informed, glancing around to make sure the immediate coast was clear before taking him from the blond's grip. "You help Gladio finish up, I'll take care of Noct," he nodded in the shield's direction who, to him, looked to be handling things just fine on his own. But, Prompto wasn't one to turn down a suggestion to go to the aid of one of the others.

He kept his scrutiny glued to the two of them while rushing over to help out with Gladio, only turning around once the 'clangs' from their ongoing battle couldn't have been more than five feet away. Prompto didn't wait to be told to do anything, he instantly had his pistol raised to point towards the thing's chest and shot a few times. It still wasn't much, but it did seem to be just enough of a distraction for Gladio to be able to work his way close enough.

The brute took the final swing, his behemoth of a weapon cutting right through for the final time, and without a moment to celebrate, he dismissed it and turned on his heel. Not a single word was uttered, his attention and direction dead set on working his way back to their designated haven. And, the entire trip back, the uncomfortable silence between them followed and thickened all the way up until they reached it.

"How is everything," it was the first time he'd spoken since that encounter, and it was directed at Ignis who was perched next to Noctis.

The man hummed thoughtfully and met the amber gaze, "He'll be alright, it was nothing more than a minor head injury. I've already given him a potion, and that's all he required." He then cut his eyes over to the blond, "Most likely struck on a rock or something similar."

The underlying message hidden beneath his tone was snatched up easily by the larger, and he then looked towards Prompto as well. "What the hell happened out there?" he didn't mean to sound quite so accusing, but his temper was already wearing thin as it were.

The gunner shifted uncomfortably on his feet, his blues glancing around anxiously as the truth of what transpired nagged at every fiber of his mind. "Uhh," he started, his nerves flaring, "I was...distracted." He started with a vague response, but he knew full well that would not suffice as an excuse. "I was...taking a picture," he shrugged, "It seemed fine, it wasn't close and it was...moving slo-"

"Prompto," Gladio began, positively seething, and doing a mediocre job of hiding it, "Do you take anything seriously at all?" His voice was low and precise, a telltale sign that he was far from amused.

"I-I," Prompto stuttered, taking an instinctive step back and dropping his gaze to the ground, "I do, really, I just didn't think..."

"That's the problem!" Gladio practically towered over him, his brows completely knit tightly into a knot, "You don't think! You don't consider what's going on around you. And, because of that, something could have happened to Noctis because he was trying to save your sorry ass." He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down before he said or did anything he'd regret. "Next time, maybe you should try to actually be more useful in the fight," he huffed, turning his back on the younger.

Prompto didn't say anything; what could he say? Gladio was right, and he had every reason to be as angry as he was and say what he did...every word of it. He chewed on his lip for a moment, needing to say something, but the words never forming on his tongue, so he settled on clamping his mouth shut instead. He lifted his hand for a second, on the verge of letting him know that he'd be right back, but changed his mind on that, talking really wasn't the best option right now.

Pressing his mouth into a straight and hard line, he wrapped his arms around himself and slowly dragged his feet to drift a bit form the camp, but he made sure not to wander off too far, not wanting to encounter any more danger. He rounded the outskirts of the haven and went a bit beyond that, just far enough to be within the safe range of it and sat himself down. He had a feeling he'd be there for a while, so he made himself comfortable.

The passage of time was abandoned, he could have been there for hours as far as he knew, and not once did he hear word from the others. He wasn't even sure if they knew where he was, not that it mattered seeing as he wasn't anywhere where he could get into trouble. He breathed out heavily and thought back to that moment he thought for sure he was done for. When he was certain him and Noctis both were about to meet their end, and it was all because of his carelessness and inability to do anything about it.

That couldn't happen again, he refused to allow himself to give in and sit by while something like that happened again; he just had to get better, that's all there was to it. With his mind made up, and fresh determination flowing through him, he straightened himself out, preparing himself to begin doing a few exercises. Probably just simple things like push-ups and the like, there wasn't exactly a lot of variety when it was the middle of the night. But, come day break, the first thing he was doing was taking a few laps. And who knows, maybe Gladio would dismiss his fury long enough to give him a quick training session or two.

* * *

At the first sign of light, he perked up, not realizing until then that he had dozed off at some point. He pressed against his eyes with the palms of his hands, massaging out the annoying stings that resided within them. Prompto pushed himself up into a sitting position, his arms filled with a slight tingling sensation as his muscles protested subtly with the movement. As soon as he got to his feet, he hopped in place a few times, trying to get a little bit more blood flowing to his legs; they were a tad numb from being still on such a rough surface for so long.

Satisfied, he set off at a gentle jog, something easy and to help him wake up a bit more, and gradually, he sped up. He continued this process until he was almost at a sprint; at this speed, it didn't take long before he was already getting out of breath. But, that just meant he had to push a little further, he felt there was no way the others would be getting this worn out this quickly. Even when he was sure his heart was threatening to explode, he kept it up, and only stopped when he caught a glimpse of Ignis out of the corner of his eye. Which wouldn't have been a big deal, but Gladio was normally up shortly after.

As difficult as it was, he took a deep breath and swallowed thickly. He'd have to face them again sooner or later, may as well not delay the inevitable. Making sure he could at least breathe decently first, he jogged over, his lungs still burning much to fiercely to sprint. The moment Ignis' ears picked up on the sound, he cut his eyes over and narrowed them at the sight. Prompto stood before him, utterly out of breath and glistening with sweat, and it wasn't even seven in the morning yet. Beneath blue orbs were dark circles, which contrasted highly with the rest of him.

"Prompto," he started, looking away and trying not to look overly worried, "Did you sleep at all last night?" He hadn't remembered him coming into the tent, but that's not so say he never did.

He nodded a bit too quickly, "Yeah, I got a bit." He shrugged, brushing it off. "Is..." his gaze flicked towards the tent, "Is Gladio up yet?"

The adviser saw the weighing unease in his stare. "Yes, he's just waking up. Why?"

"I...needed to ask a favor," he mumbled, feeling unnaturally shy all of a sunned. Why, he didn't know, he shouldn't still be feeling this way around them. He didn't give Ignis the chance to ask anything more before brushing by him and made a beeline for the tent. He hesitated right outside, his fear and anxiety working against him in this.

He had to do this though, he couldn't chicken out. His heart thrummed in anticipation, and his hands began sweating as he grabbed hold of the material; he hadn't even realized until then that his hand was trembling slightly. Gathering what little confidence he could muster, he pulled back the flap. "Umm, Gladdy?" he asked sheepishly, still finding it challenging to look up at the man. The hum he got in return beckoned him to continue, "I was wondering if you, ya know, had a moment?"

There was a small shuffle as he pulled himself to his feet, followed closely by another more subdued shuffle from the prince rolling over and mumbling in his sleep. Prompto stepped back enough to allow the other man to get through without having to make any sort of contact.

"What do you want?" he asked, sounding utterly disinterested.

The younger stood there reluctantly, debating if this was actually a good idea, but shook his head against the nagging voice. "I want you to train me a bit...if you don't mind, of course," he sighed, expecting the man to absolutely turn him down.

"Looks like you've been at that already," he replied, more on the light side than predicted, "But, I guess it wouldn't hurt. Just wait a little bit until it's a bit bright out, and we'll get started." Surprised, Prompto only nodded; what else could he say?

The blond waited patiently, shifting from one foot to the other as the sky gradually lit up one shade at a time until it was a consistent hue of blue; and, as promised, Gladio approached him with his arms tight over his chest, a watchful eye aimed at the other. "Alright, what exactly did you have in mind?" he asked

"Whatever you think I need the most improvement on," he shrugged, still feeling so small and insignificant next to the much larger frame of the shield.

"Hand to hand it is then," he sighed, and waved for Prompto to follow as he led him a good distance from the camp site so as not to disrupt the others. "I think an hour will be good for today," he suggested, not wanting to overdo it, especially considering how worn out the other already looked. He saw the signs of a near protest, and cut that off before it could even begin to form into words, "We're starting off with lighter sessions, we can pick it up as you progress. But for now, I'm keeping it simple."

"Alright," he agreed, knowing there was no arguing with him; Gladio knew what was best and he was in no place to complain about it. "I'm ready when you are th-Ah!" he had to sidestep mid-sentence, his adrenaline pumping instantly as the next thing he saw was a man twice his size running at him. He didn't think he'd want to start that quickly.

He didn't let up either, he just kept going at him. "You gotta be ready," he grunted, making to go towards him again. With his speed and strength, it didn't take long before he had the blond down and pinned to the ground. The gunner was heaving out breaths while the other had barely broken a sweat.

"That all you got?" he egged on, making no move to remove himself, if anything, he tightened his hold, clearly waiting for Prompto to put up a fight to free himself. He couldn't help but feel a little insulted by that insinuation, the guy didn't have to do anything but keep him down, and acted as though it took hardly any effort. To say that it angered him was an understatement. He wanted to be trained, not made a fool of.

He swore under his breath, which he was sure didn't go unheard as he gave the whole freeing himself a valiant effort. But, after having no sleep and the whole running first thing in the morning, he was doing nothing but tiring himself out even more. And, every time he was the slightest bit close to getting out of this tangle, Gladio only readjusted his grips to make this even more impossible to get out of. It wasn't until five or so minutes of fruitless struggle that the hold was released and Prompto didn't hesitate to get to his feet. "What the hell, man?" he huffed out between heavy breaths.

"Ok, again, this time I suggest you try not to get pinned down so easily," he teased, that smirk on his face just tying it all together. The blond narrowed his gaze, but he was determined to give it another try. They repeated this process for the full hour, earning the same results every time. By then, the prince was even awake and moving about, assisting Ignis, much to his dismay of course.

"I think that's enough," Gladio decided as he looked down on a panting gunner, his hands on his knees as he took in greedy breaths. "We can try some more tomorrow if you want," he offered, running a hand through dark hair which now was damp with sweat.

To his shock, Prompto shook his head. "Just a few more times," he pleaded, forcing himself to stand back straight.

"No," the shield answered simply, "You can barely stand as it is. Get your energy back, and tomorrow, we'll pick it back up."

"But, I can-"

"I said no, Prompto," Gladio raised his voice slightly, "Learn when to take defeat and learn from it. Take this time to think it over and figure out what you can do differently next time." He turned his back on him, not providing an opportunity to counter his statement.

He chewed the inside of his cheek for a moment, but agreed to let it go; he could just do other things in the meantime.

"Prompto," he glanced up at his name, "You coming back or not?"

Carefully, he nodded, "Sure." Though, he still wasn't sure of that was a good idea, and the thought of facing Noctis after yesterday terrified him. He was almost certain there would be some blame directed at him, and rightfully so; he would of deserved every ounce of it, there was no doubt in his mind about that.

The rest of the morning carried out as per usual, they had breakfast, and then they cleared out camp before backing all of their belongings into the trunk of the Regalia. Gladio spared the gunner a few odd glances every time he offered to carry more than he was, or to really do anything more than he normally would. It wasn't really a bad thing as far as he could tell...just off for him. But, he kept up that same positive and cheerful demeanor the entire time, never once allowing it to falter.

As Prompto placed the last of his baggage in the trunk, he clapped his hands together and stepped back. He stopped a fraction of a moment when his vision blurred by a touch, but it didn't last long. Blinking a few times to test it out, he let out a slow breath and made his way to the passenger side. "So, what now?" he asked, placing his hand over the handle.

"We still have these tags to return," Ignis reminded, hopping into the driver side.

"Oh yeah," the other drawled, almost forgetting that was the main point of coming out here in the first place.

Noctis was already situated in the back, head leaning against his hand in a sign of boredom. "Can we get going already?" he asked after a few seconds, "I'm ready to hurry up and check into a hotel. I could really go for a shower," he twirled a piece of his hair, feeling the griminess of it as he spoke.

"Certainly," the brunet replied, swiftly easing himself into his seat, followed closely by the others. It wasn't much longer before they were back on the road, headed towards where Dave informed them where the client was. "This should only take around twenty minutes or so," he filled the others in, "So, it's not too far." He glanced at Noctis through the mirror, as if telling this directly to him.

"Yeah yeah, I got it specs," he sighed, dismissing the idea of sleeping on the way, seeing as he wouldn't get to stay that way long before being rudely woken back up. He glanced around after a moment, a little bothered by the unnatural silence that occupied the vehicle. "Uh," he looked from Gladio to Prompto and then back, "Did I miss something?" They both seemed off to him, in fact, even Ignis didn't seem right.

And, it was Prompto who decided to answer first, "Hm, oh nah, everything's fine." He tried to sound assuring, but even he could hear the uncertainty in his voice, and he wasn't sure if it was the strain in it from all the exertion. "Why?" his gaze shifted back to the road before them.

Noctis shrugged and leaned back, "I dunno, everyone just seems a tad uptight." He tried to brush it off, but that of feeling still remained.

* * *

Ignis pulled into the lot of a rather isolated looking hotel; not much around other than a general store and a bunch of trees in all directions. "Are we sure this isn't a set-up to kidnap all of us," Prompto chuckled lightly, trying to lighten the mood; but, no one else seemed to find the humor in it. "I was only kidding," he muttered, turning his head away and towards the ground.

"He should be here somewhere," Ignis pushed his glasses up and took a quick glance around before his gaze landed on a single man standing off near the store. The adviser looked him over from a far a few times before nodding to himself; he fit the description well enough. "I'll take care of this, you three are free to tend to the other needs," he cut his gaze over to the hotel, silently telling them exactly what he meant by that.

Gladio instantly took charge of that, not giving the others a chance to offer before he was off. As the two of them went off to do their respective tasks, Prompto looked to Noctis, "I'll be back a bit later. I gotta go test some things out," he cast a thumb over his shoulder to point towards the nearest forest.

"Like what?" he raised an eyebrow, glancing the other over up and down.

The blond shrugged, looking uneasy under his pressuring glare. "Just wanna try out some new moves and stuff. You know...that kind of thing," he summoned his gun and gave it a quick twirl as if to make his point clear.

This only served to make the raven appear more confused. "Weren't you just training with Gladio this morning?" he asked, positive he remembered that being a thing.

"Well, yeah...but, that was hand to hand," he dismissed his weapon for the time being, "I still need to practice in the other stuff too." He began to make his way, wanting to get to it before Gladio finished up and got back, knowing he wouldn't approve of this. "I'll be back soon enough, alright?" he gave a small wave, never getting one in return as he sprinted off too quickly to receive one. A still confused and slightly concerned Noctis was left behind, standing there unsure of how he would react to that sort of strange behavior.

Prompto only slowed down once he was sure he was out of view, and only then did he realize he was stupid enough to tell Noctis what he was actually doing; the thought of making up an actual excuse had never crossed his mind. He should have said he was going to go take pictures or something, that would have made a lot more sense than the truth. He mentally slapped himself for that, and just hoped that no one would get overly upset about it, though, he was fairly sure they would.

Well, there was no going back and redoing it now, he'd just have to roll with it. He wandered off a little bit more before he came across a spot that appeared to be good enough for what he intended to do. It was clear enough, and there was just enough overhanging branches that could be used as targets well enough.

Just like the night before, he quickly became enveloped in the moment, and swiftly lost track of time; his mind on body seemingly running on autopilot, and only realizing until his vision did a repeat of its dimming out. "Dammit," he mouthed, reaching out to support himself against a tree as the word tilted by a few degrees. Perhaps it was time to head back. Dismissing his pistol, he remained where he was until the dizzy spell subsided and he could see straight again. Which took a few minutes, causing him to panic slightly before it finally faded away.

Prompto was left trying to catch his breath, his legs shaking as he stood there. Ok, it was definitely time to get back. When he felt he had his bearings back under control, he pushed himself away from the tree, only to fall against something else. "Come on," he breathed out, feeling to tried and frustrated to deal with this.

"That's what I should be saying," Prompto jumped when the piece of wood he leaned against talked, and it took him a minute to realize it was a person. "What the hell are you doing?" Gladio asked, grabbing hold of the blond's arm before he could step away.

"Nothing," he blurted out, ignoring the grip and trying to tug away, "Can't I just practice in peace?"

The man huffed out in annoyance, quickly losing his patience. "Not when you're doing it this way," he nearly snapped. "You need to know when to give it a break," he tried, attempting to lead him back towards the hotel.

"I know," Prompto countered, fighting to ground his own teeth, "I don't need someone to tell me that." He snatched his arm away and took a few long strides in order to walk in front of the other. "I think I can tell when I've had enough," he muttered, trying not to think about the black tendrils that teased the edges of his sight.

He only made it a few more steps until he tripped, but he was sure nothing was in his way. Everything seemed coated in fuzz, his hearing, his sight, everything. The only thing he had time to do was hold his hands out to break his fall. There was Gladio's voice saying something, but he couldn't make out the actual words, only the sound of it and the tone, and he didn't know how to wage the sound of it. Colors exploded before him and he found himself struggling to keep himself conscious. He wasn't even sure he was breathing, he was doing the action of it, but he still felt as though there was nothing in his lungs.

The next thing he was aware of was the fact that he wasn't on the ground anymore, and it didn't take much to figure out he had been picked up, and by the shield himself no less. Even in his current state, he felt a wave of humiliation at the thought of this. Not only did he save him the night before, and went easy on him in training, but now he was literally carrying him. It was a slap in the face.

After a few feet, the light-headedness departed enough for him to struggle against the man's hold. "Hey, knock it off," Gladio grunted, the movement never phasing him. "We're almost back."

"I can walk myself," Prompto almost whined, opening his eyes enough to set the man with what he hoped was a glare of determination.

"Why do I find that hard to believe?" he asked rhetorically. "You couldn't even handle a whole two steps back there, and now you're making such claims like being able to walk all the way back on your own? Don't make me laugh."

The blond grit his teeth and tried to free himself again, but it was just a repeat of their training that morning...it was no use. All he could do was give up and take the blow to his dignity.

"I don't know what's gotten into you, but what's with all this?" he asked, knitting his brows together. Prompto didn't reply, he just looked away, clearly having difficulty keeping his eyes open. "Are you trying to make yourself sick or something? You know, when I said I wasn't gonna let you train anymore this morning, it wasn't something to take personally. I had a reason for saying no." He glanced down to see if there was a change in his expression, but if anything, he just appeared to be hardly listening.

The brute breathed out heavily through his nose, "Dammit, Prompto, if something's up, you need to use your damn words, not this shit," he spat a bit more than necessary, but this was getting ridiculous. Not even a day and he had somehow managed to take this large of a toll him himself. What had he even been thinking. "This is doing nothing but hurting yourself. And what if this happened in the middle of a fight; you think you could live with putting someone else and yourself in danger...danger that could have been avoided if you would just liste-" he stopped, a small sniffle reaching his ears.

Gladio glanced back down, he couldn't see the blond's face by the way his head was angled, but he heard a few more sniffs and his frame was lightly shuddering, and this time it wasn't from his body being overworked. He took a deep and calming breath when he realized he was actually crying. "We're here," he chose to say instead, making a beeline for their room. "I think it's in your best interest to finally get some sleep," he mentioned before opening the door.

"Did you find him?" Ignis asked not a moment after they were through the door. He didn't need an answer as his gaze fell upon the both of them. "Where in the name of the six were you?" he asked, not hiding his worry, especially not after seeing him carried in such a manner.

Gladio slowly shook his head, "The fool was out 'practicing,'" he emphasized the word. "Nearly passed out out on the way back," his tone was a little softer, but that underlying frustration remained. "Been pushing himself for the last day for who knows what reason, and did this to himself." Now he was just adding insult to injury.

"I'm fine," Prompto repeated, "You can put me down now." His voice was low and slightly hoarse, coming out slowly as he tried to keep the trembling out of it. Rolling his eyes, the shield complied, and wasn't surprised when he stumbled the moment he took a step. Of course, it was Ignis who stepped up to take it from there.

"Are you alright?" the adviser asked, jolting as the blond snatched himself away.

"I said I'm fine...I just want to go to bed," he looked to the brunet's eyes, then quickly looked away. And that's all it took for Ignis to see the redness that resided in them.

Sighing, he stepped back, "Very well." He'd let him get what he wanted, he definitely looked as though he needed it. "I'll get some tea started," he offered, wanting to prepare something to help his body at least a little if he were able. He then gave Gladio a look that said, 'I think you should talk to him.' He had a feeling this was mostly between the two of them.

Closing his eyes for a moment, the man puffed out a calming breath and he went to sit on the bed, and instantly, Prompto rolled over to face away. "So," he started, unsure where he was going with this, "Why are you doing it?" He didn't need to clarify, it should be obvious enough what he meant.

"Because," Prompto sighed, still sounding terrible and exhausted, "I'm not good enough yet." His answer was simple and to the point, yet there was so much that was left unsaid. "You were right," he continued without having to be pressed. "I don't think, I don't pay enough attention when fighting, and because of that, Noctis got hurt."

It was Noctis' turn to narrow his eyes and speak up. "Is that what this is all about?" he asked, looking between the two of them. "Because you think you're not good enough?"

"If it wasn't for my stupid mistake..." he didn't finish, his brain choosing that time to malfunction again as his eyes pricked with fresh tears. He had no idea why he was crying again, he shouldn't be; any other time he wouldn't be, so why now? "I just need to get better, alright?"

"Prompto," Gladio breathed out, understanding now, "Look, what I said, it was rash. It was the heat of the moment, and I know you didn't mean for anything to happen." Now it was time for his guilt to kick him, "But, that didn't mean for you to go out of your way like this. Excessive training isn't going to help, most of that comes from experience. Training can only take you so far."

The blond fell silent, and Gladio just pressed his mouth together. "I get it," he muttered, "take your time, and we can just talk lat-" his face dead-panned. A light snore sounded out, "Are you serious?" he asked, slightly offended.

"Well, what can I say, you're just boring, I guess," the prince shrugged.

"Guess so," Gladio folded his arms. "We'll just pick this up when he wakes up then I guess." It was probably for the better anyway, as exhausted as he was, he doubted Prompto retained any of what he just said. But, at least he was finally taking a much needed break, so he couldn't complain too much.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uhhhhhh, so I think Imma stop taking requests until I can cut this list down a tad. XD Sorry, but it got pretty long, so just need some time to get a few done before opening it back up to new ones. But, if you have questions or anything, you can reach me on Tumblr as well.
> 
> Queue as of now:
> 
> Touched  
Musiclife1988  
Shiary  
ScribeOfRhapsody  
ellaygee  
Hollypopstop  
Kloudia1  
laurelilith  
Kestrealbird  
Snow  
mabver321  
MasterThiefWolf  
Tabbys_desire  
the lazy one  
Crystal  
Ann  
'Anonymous4'  
Robin  
Luna the Wolf Mage  
FredrikssonT  
MsChievous  
NicoleBL


	19. Don't Do This Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Noctis again becomes too reckless for his own good, it's his shield that pays the price for it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta read by: Sinikka_von_Wolperting
> 
> Request for: Touched
> 
> Sorry this took so long. ;w; I was a bit burned out after this week. lol But, here it is. >:D Hope you enjoy~

"Sooooo, what?" Prompto asked as the Regalia was slowed to a stop. "There's nothing out here, empty; endless as far as the eye can see," he waved his hand out to needlessly gesture to the vast expanse of land as he stepped out.

Ignis was the next out, his right hand already re-adjusting his glasses while he stepped around to stand next to the blond. "Well, those tremors aren't creating themselves, I assure you," he sighed and glanced back as the other two exited the vehicle as well.

"Maybe it's just earthquakes," Noctis shrugged, sounding the polar opposite of enthused about this expedition. He caught the look the adviser cast his way. "What? It's a possibility."

The brunet folded his arms over his chest, "Yes, Noct, it's an earthquake that comes and goes without actually disrupting the surface of the ground. A very considerate earthquake indeed."

"You never know," the raven uttered under his breath and turned his attention elsewhere. His eye twitched when he heard the low chuckle form the shield to his right, and he didn't hesitate in giving the larger man a look of his own. "Shuddup," he took a few steps to stand in front of the others. "Well, I guess we may as well get this over with."

Well, the gunner seemed to agree with him, that is until he was up next to him and he took another gaze around. "Let's go," he cheered before his face fell. "Uh, what are we even supposed to do?" It wasn't like there was a physical indicator as to the cause of these strange happenings.

"We wait, maybe?" Noctis suggested, at a loss himself.

"I think that's all we can do," Gladio agreed for once, seeing nothing himself that could be of any help. He didn't sound too thrilled about it, nor did he appear pleased with that decision, but there really was no other information than strange tremors racking the area. "Unless you have a better idea, Iggy?" he glanced over to see the other already deep in thought; his head bowed slightly as he mulled it over. Of course he was knees deep in thought, he didn't expect anything less of the man.

The man hummed to himself and absentmindedly began to stroll forward. "I see no harm in checking the place out," he muttered, thinking out loud. Then, turning to face the others, "I say we at least scout the area out first, if this happens as frequently as we've been told, then I have no doubt we'll run across something along the way." He looked from one to the other, waiting for any objections if they were to arise at his proposition. When none surfaced, he gave them a nod before leading the way.

They all appeared to be reluctant on the idea, but followed nonetheless, two more willing than the third. Noctis practically dragged his feet along, throwing comments out about the heat like candy on Halloween. "Sure is whiny for a prince," Gladio muttered, but just loud enough for the raven to hear the spiteful tease.

The younger scoffed to himself, feeling too miserable form the rising temperature to glorify him with a response. Even with the shield's back to him, he could sense that self-satisfied smirk on his face. With a roll of his eyes, he glanced down, and at just the right time to smack straight into the brute's back at full force. The impact was almost enough to knock him on his ass and cause the other to stumbled forward. "Hey," he complained, raising a hand to cup his face, "What's with th-" he froze at the light shift he felt beneath him.

"I think we have company," Gladio spoke up as the subtle vibrations increased into something much more noticeable.

"Uhhh, guys," the blond stammered out, stepping back to get close to them. They looked towards him, then trailed along to where his finger was pointing not too far off from where they were currently standing.

Not a moment later, both Noctis and Gladio had their weapons materialized, and Ignis wasn't far behind. Four pairs of eyes watched the small mound carefully while it quickly grew in size. "What the hell," the prince mumbled when the first sign of life broke through.

"I-is that a snake," the gunner had his pistol summoned and was gradually backing farther away as the head of the serpent rose above the ground. "It's freaking huge!" his voice spiked in octaves once the entirety of the beast could be seen.

"Try not to wet yourself," Gladio replied with little humor. Saying this thing was huge was a bit of an understatement. He gripped his sword tighter as its tongue flicked out, hissing before its slitted gaze darted to the four of them. Its body coiled up around itself and it pushed its head close to them, seemingly curious in behavior at first. "Noct, step back," he warned when the movements started to become more jolting and quick; its curiosity shifting into something much more aggressive.

He didn't need to be told twice, in fact they all took a few steps back. "Did it have to be something like this," Noctis complained to himself, shuddering slightly at the sight of the thing. "Well, we can't just stand around and stare at it all day," he finally spoke up louder, not giving any of the others a chance to reply before he was gone in the blink of an eye; a glimmer of blue hinting at the path he took.

"Noct-dammit!" Gladio growled in clear frustration. "Ignis, let's go, Prompto, you stay back," he called over his shoulder as he sprinted forward.

The blond gave a quick wave, not budging from his spot, "Don't have to tell me twice." He even went as far as to take another step back, his gun at the ready and aimed at the beasts face. Over the sight of his pistol, he could make out Noctis as he reappeared, sword stuck firmly in the snakes side. Wincing at the cry it let out from the pain, the gunner aimed steadily to let a few shots ring out, careful not to hit the raven.

The thrashing was enough to buck the prince and force him to warp back away from it to avoid being tossed away. By the time he reached the ground, the other two had already caught up, and Gladio was quick to show his disapproval. "What the hell was that?" he fumed, grabbing the prince and leaping to the side as a scaly tail came bounding down. He cast a quick glance to make sure Ignis had dodged and let out a sigh of relief to see him standing on the other side. "Are you trying to get yourself killed?" he turned his focus back over to Noctis.

"No, but do you really think discussing this now is a good idea?" he retorted as they both evaded another strike, this time from the other end. Fangs missed the both of them by inches.

Gladio huffed out an annoyed breath, he had a point, but that didn't mean he was finished with him yet. "It can wait until after this," he gripped his greatsword in both hands now, readying himself to attack or defend, whichever came first. "Just don't get too carried away, princess."

"Sure thing," he answered, charging forward once again.

"What did I jus-" Gladio shook his head and ran after his charge, not letting him get too far away. Keeping a watchful eye on Noct, he almost missed the tail swinging back around for another attempt at hitting at least one of them, but again falling short. And, with an agonized hiss, it pierced through the earth, quickly disappearing back underneath the soil.

Noctis landed somewhere to the brute's right, Ignis was sill on his side, all of them standing and concentrating on the tremors that traveled through their feet. "Dammit," the prince swore under his breath as the last of the tail vanished form view.

Quicker than they had the first time, the vibrations approached at an alarming rate, the pebbles around them 'clacked' against the cracking soil around them. Gladio's eyes widened in realization, and his feet were moving before he could fully process what was happening or what he was doing. The moment he reached the prince, he could feel the undeniable rise in the ground, and as he shoved him away, his feet were forced from beneath him.

"Gladio!" "Gladdy!" he heard the voices of both Ignis and Prompto as flaming agony erupted in his left shoulder. He couldn't stifle the cry of pain that ripped from his throat while he was being hefted up; and, cracking his eyes open, he found one slit eye staring dead at him. Things were moving far too quickly for him to get his bearings, but he could definitely tell the fangs were burying in deeper and fire seemed to radiate from that point.

He raised his sword as high as he could, but from this angle it didn't get very far. His ears barely picked up on the shots before he saw one of the eyes explode into a bloody firework of sorts. 'Prompto, you better watch where you're shooting,' he thought to himself as droplets rained down on him.

Noctis watched in horror as the serpent reeled back from the damage done to it, thrashing its head around in an attempt to escape its suffering. And, he was sure his heart stopped when it finally released its hold on the man, but it wasn't a short fall, and he was dropping fast. There was no way any of them could make it over in time; it just wasn't possible, even if he did warp, he wasn't quick enough.

"Gladio!" he yelled out, momentarily forgetting their enemy as he headed straight for the prone figure, unmoving on the ground. "Shit," he muttered as the tail slammed back down between the two of them. "Ignis, go make sure he's alright," he called back, trying to put at least a bit of authority into his voice that said it wasn't up for debate.

"Certainly," the adviser complied, his face mirroring the concern they all felt weighing heavily in their chests. He gave Noctis one more glance before rushing off after the shield. Even from a distance, he could see the bright red serving as a highlight to the severity of the situation. His speed picked up, and his pulse raised as he closed the gap between them. Dropping to his knees next to him, he scanned over him, stopping the moment he laid eyes on the two puncture wounds in the man's shoulder. They were deep, deep and bleeding quite profusely. And, already he could make out thin tendrils creeping under the skin.

"Gladio," he spoke softly, slipping a hand under his head and lifting it slightly, not wanting to move him too much should there be a more dangerous injury. "Can you hear me?" He earned himself a soft groan as his eyes fluttered in a fruitless attempt at opening. Ignis' fingers brushed over his hair as he readjusted, and there was no denying the dampness and stickiness he felt back there.

He cleared his throat, which swiftly turned into a couple coughs and a wince. He had to get him out of here, but he couldn't leave the others to deal with that beast alone, not with what it was capable of. As those thoughts filled his mind, he heard the behemoth shriek in agony again. Ok, maybe they did have this under control after all; or, if the sounds were anything to judge, they were doing pretty alright for themselves.

Checking the man over once more, he couldn't make out any other injuries other than the shoulder wound and the blow to the head, which of course neither were to be taken lightly. "I apologize, but I'm going to have to move you. This isn't going to feel very nice," he warned, hefting the guy up with a grunt of his own. He knew Gladio was heavy, but he didn't think he was this heavy. "I'm going to need you to work with me if you can," he asked, knowing he wouldn't be able to move effectively if he draped the brute over his shoulders.

Ignis pulled his arm around him and hoisted him up until he was supporting the majority of his weight; the other mumbled something groggily and incoherent, but he did at least try to walk alongside him. As he slumped against the other, small waves of heat could be felt leaving him.

Glancing a second look back, a considerable chunk of his worry dissipated at the sight of the snake flailing from side to side, obviously lashing out due to blind rage and pain; it's movements and attacks no longer precise. He was positive they'd catch up in no time as soon as they finished up with that.

* * *

"Only a few more yards," Ignis promised him, despite it being a quite a lot farther than that. But as they walked, the more the other sagged against him, and he was certain he was supporting all of the man's weight by now. He gave a half-conscious grunt as a reply and managed to take at least some of the support himself, but it wasn't long before it shifted back over.

The adviser sighed at least when it finally felt possible to make it to a haven without them collapsing in a heap in the middle of the desert. The last stretch was by far the most difficult...for both of them. And, not a second after he was within those markings, he lowered Gladio to the ground and began removing his jacket, with no help form the other. With that out of the way, the wounds were staring back at him almost menacingly. "Alright," he uttered to himself, trying not to let his bubbling concern show through, "We got this."

The shield's breaths were coming out in quick and shallow pants, and a thin sheen of sweat shone on his forehead. Taking in a contrasting deep breath, the adviser pressed a couple fingers against his neck and narrowed his eyes at the fluttering sensation. "Gladio," he whispered, almost afraid to raise his voice, "Can you hear me?"

Slowly and laborously, the man nodded, his features twisting in obvious discomfort. He had to clean the wound, and all he had on him was a couple antidotes; well, he figured they were better than nothing. It was better than leaving things how they were.

"This might sting a bit," he warned as he retrieved and popped open on of the vials. He offered the man a sympathetic look before pouring a generous amount of the liquid into the twin punctures. Gladio gasped from both the surprise and near unbearable pain it created, and his breathing picked up in pace. "I apologize, but I have to pour a bit more," he didn't hesitate and emptied the remainder of the container, holding his breath while he watched both blood and venom wash out. "I'm almost done," he promised.

He removed his own jacket to press over the injury, needing to at least slow the bleeding for the time being. Gladio hissed and flinched beneath the touch and Ignis uttered quiet words of encouragement under his breath, unsure if they were heard or not. As he applied the pressure, two sets of footsteps gradually increased in volume from behind. He didn't even turn around before he started spewing orders for the two of them, "I need one of you to go retrieve the first aid kit, and the other get a fire started and begin heating some water."

"I-is he alright?" Prompto asked timidly, feeling more than a little guilty after shooting the thing in the eye and indirectly making it toss the shield in its agony.

There was a moment of silence. "Hurry up and do as I said," he repeated, authority enveloping in his tone. The brunet swallowed thickly and focused back on the shield, not letting his hold on the material falter for even a second. He wasn't sure how quickly the other two worked, but to him it felt far too long before they got things running around him.

"Here," for once Noctis had a small and sheepish voice as he placed the white box on the ground. And, it could only be assumed that Prompto was getting the water prepared.

Ignis mumbled a thanks and flipped it open with trembling and bloodied hands, reaching instantly for the anti-septic. "Prompto, the water," he didn't intend for there to be harshness in his voice, but he was very aware of his nerves manipulating it.

"Just a second," the blond replied, fumbling around with the pot, his own frantic pulse making his movements clumsy. "Ok, I got it," he announced, pulling it away from the flames before it could get too hot. He placed the liquid next to Ignis as well, who dropped a few strips of cloth into it. Grabbing one, he wrung it out over the wounds trying to flush it out as much as he could before following it with the anti-septic. Of course, Gladio didn't exactly have a calm reaction to this either. He winced and groaned from it, but the worst was him attempting to pull away.

"Hold him still," Ignis hissed out at the others. Both of them situated on either side; Prompto holding onto the shield's uninjured shoulder while Noctis grabbed onto the man's other arm. With Gladio as steady as he was going to be, the brunet got back to cleaning, trying to work as quickly as he could to spare some of the guy's suffering.

Sighing, he leaned back to inspect the wound; and, it looked about as good as he was going to get it. "Do we have any potions left?" he asked Noctis, glancing up at him. The expression he was met with stung, but he nodded his understanding. "It's alright, the wound itself isn't life threatening," he went on. Plucking one of the other cloths from the pot, he turned the brute's head to the side to inspect the damage dealt there. Again, it didn't look too serious, but it was bound to leave quite a bump and probably a sizable headache for a little while.

He cleaned that wound and applied a small bandage over it before he allowed himself to lean back and take a short breather. But, he never permitted himself to relax as he rested his gaze on the slight flush of the man's face, his fever already picking up in the small amount of time he'd been there.

"Ignis?" Prompto broke the silence as he crouched to his left, "Is he gonna be alright?"

Said man glanced up at the re-asked question, and again he couldn't say for sure, but, "The wounds are cared for and the bleeding has been taken care of. All there is now is to let him rest and fight off the poison," he sighed heavily and dropped his scrutiny back down to the larger.

"Son of a bitch!" both of them darted their attention to Noctis as he shot up to his feet, his back turned to him while he paced away. One hand combed through his hair in a show of frustration and his foot struck out at a small rock, sending it flying.

"Noct..." Ignis' voice was low and warning.

Stopping, the prince spun on the spot to face the others once again, "What? You gonna tell me to calm down? This happened because he felt so obliged to push me out of the way. To protect me, when I could have easily gotten out of the way myself. Does he trust me that little, that he didn't think I could move fast enough?" he rambled on, his voice quickly fading. "Dammit, what the hell was he thinking?" he trailed off to walk a few more feet away and dropped to sit on the ground.

The gunner looked down, finding the ground to suddenly be intriguing. "That's his job," the brunet's response caught both of them off guard, and if anything, it only served to elevate the ravens teetering temper.

"I don't give a shit what his job is," and Noctis was back on his feet, making his way back towards the others. "That doesn't mean he should pull stupid crap like this!" He took a couple deep and calming breaths before dropping back down to the ground, this time to sit a little close to the three of them; the labored and uneven breaths were the only thing he listened to now.

Prompto had long since bowed his head down, falling unnaturally quiet, not even flicking his gaze upwards a single time. "I understand your feeling towards this," Ignis tarted up again, pausing to make sure the prince was finished this time, "But, you know full well this is the type of risks the shield of the future kind must take. I know that it doesn't make it any less painful, but those are the facts.

"You act like I don't know that," he muttered, scrutiny glued onto Gladio. "But, it doesn't mean what he did was necessary," he sighed, placing his forehead against his knees. As he fell into his sulking position, Ignis shook his head and wrung out another of the cloths.

Wiping the sweat from the brute's face, he took a look around the haven. "You two should start getting camp set up, we're gonna be here for a little bit," he spoke calmly, keeping his tone somewhat casual.

With a grunt, the prince got up instantly to start bringing the stuff over. "Come on, Prom," he never cast the other a glance, merely focused on the task at hand.

* * *

Astrals, everything burned fiercely, and there was this incessant pounding radiating from the side of his head. To put it lightly, he felt like utter garbage, which was still a major understatement if he were being honest. He felt something brush over his face, something irritating and he tried to swipe at it, but he was having a difficult time with his limbs; they didn't seem to want to cooperate with him.

Gladio tried to say something, but he was sure nothing more than an incoherent groan escaped by how dry his mouth and throat felt; and, dammit why did everything ache. After his attempt, he heard a few uttered words, but they sounded distorted and distant. 'Come on,' he thought to himself, growing frustrated with his inability to do anything.

The more he focused however, the cleared the voice became...and the more intense all the discomforts grew. Fire was bursting form his shoulder, and he could practically feel it blasting through his veins in pulsating agony. This time, he was fully aware of the less than prideful whimper he let out, and he wanted to slap himself for it.

"Shhh," the noise reached his ears, wavering in and out of existence. He couldn't help but smirk at the tone, or he hoped his was smirking anyway.

"Don't pat...ronize me...Iggy," he croaked out between heated pants. Gladio winced as another painful flare shot through him.

He heard Ignis call to somewhere to his right, "Noctis, see if you can't find the bottle of pain killers." Turning back to the shield, he placed the back of his hand to his face and hummed in disapproval. "Your fever is still pretty high," he muttered to himself.

"Ya don' say," the man slurred, very conscious of his unbearable hot he felt. He took in a deep and shuddering breath, regretting it instantly as nausea gripped his insides. "Gonna...be sick," he mumbled, trying to turn over to his side. Luckily for him, the adviser noticed quick enough and was able to at least guide him far enough before the heaves could begin. The man was down on all fours, his arms shaking almost uncontrollably.

Ignis waited until he was done, until he was leaning back with his head hanging with it to gaze up at the stars. "Ready to go back?" he asked, receiving a short nod. Together, they strolled over, a very clumsy and stumbling stroll before Gladio was lowered back to lie on his back. "Think you can drink something," the brunet already had a bottle of water in hand to wave in front of the other.

"Do I have a choice," his eyes were lightly closed, a new barrage of perspiration decorating his tight features. His right hand instinctively drifted to his shoulder as the pain in it picked up its pace. Gladio cracked one amber open to see Noctis handing a small bottle over, assumedly the pain medication.

As much as he hated it, he had to accept help in sitting up, something he wasn't too thrilled about. But, luckily no one dared to make any snide remarks or give him any teasing looks. Though, that was most likely due to how pale he looked to them, something he wasn't aware of himself. Slowly, he sipped at the water, and the cool feeling of it was actually quite relieving. However, after his body's previous revolt, he wasn't too keen on drinking more than the small amount he already had.

"Is that it?" Ignis asked, eyebrow raised.

He was returned with a sly upturn, "It is unless you wanna be wearing it in a minute." He winced and hissed as another wave racked through him.

"Alright, then," the brunet sighed, working on getting the bottle open, "I want you to take a couple of these then, and in a few minutes I'll clean the wounds again." Surprisingly, the man complied, and the fact that he didn't put up a fight was a tad off-putting to the others. Since when did he take medicine willingly?

Giving the pills enough time to do their magic, Ignis set all the stuff out he'd need, and with another few minutes, he got to work in removing the bandages. Blood already spotting the surface of them. Pulling the material away, he held back a wince at the sight; it wasn't nearly as bad is it were, but seeing two gaping holes was not an easy sight to absorb. "This is going to sting," he warned, not giving in processing time before the cleaning commenced. Gladio gasped at the sensation, but managed to stay relatively still for the most part, aside from a flinch here and there. Soon enough, the wounds were again dressed, and the shield was left breathing heavily and trembling slightly from it.

"You should try and get some rest now," Ignis suggested, pushing himself to his feet to give his legs a proper stretch for the first time in hours. He groaned audibly with the effort of it. "If you need anything, don't hesitate," he offered, daring the man to try and hide anything from him. He got a small nod of acknowledgement in return.

"Ignis," Prompto pulled his attention over before he could even get a few feet, "Why don't you take it easy for a bit. I can keep an eye on him for now, if you want." He stood awkwardly on the spot, clearly unsure of what he should even be doing. But, there was no harm in allowing him to help; Gladio was out of the worst, he was lucid at least.

With a sigh, the brunet gave him a "Very well," and proceeded to carry on his way. The blond smiled at that, a surge of satisfaction at having been trusted enough to keep an eye on things...not that there was that much to do other than get Ignis if things went bad, but still. Content, he took the adviser's place next to Gladio.

"What?" the brute asked the moment he saw who it was, "He sent ya over to babysit?"

Prompto's face faltered for a fraction of a second, "Uhhh, no. I kinda wanted to come over myself." He rubbed at the back of his head nervously, "I can give you some space though, if you want."

The larger swiftly waved hand as Prompto made a move to get back up, "Nah, you can stay." He shifted slightly with a quiet moan, "Damn, this is not comfortable."

"Well...you are on the ground."

"Really, I hadn't noticed," Gladio remarked, sarcasm dripping off his words. For a few moments, they sat there in comfortable silence aside from a hiss or some other sound of displeasure.

Prompto kept casting questionable looks his way. "You...you need anything?" he asked after the fourth or so hiss.

Slowly, he shook his head, "Nah, just want to go to sleep. But this bite has other plans." He sighed loudly as his hand again felt the area, grasping it in an attempt to lessen the throbs and fire. Of course, the guy looked exhausted, and it was probably the thing he needed most right now.

"We can move you to the tent, if that would be more comfortable," the blond suggested, trying his best to help in some way.

But, Gladio turned it down, "I'm fine out here; it gets too hot in that thing. Not to mention the way Noctis refused to settle on a position until the ass crack of dawn."

"What was that?" the shield's eyes snapped to look over him where he found a pair of twilight orbs staring down at him, arms folded over his chest. "Maybe if someone didn't try to hog all the space, I wouldn't have to struggle to find a reasonable angle."

The brute snorted at that, only to finch right afterwards. "That's a laugh," he muttered.

"Prom, mind giving us a minute?" the raven completely changed his tone, taking on a softer and more gentle demeanor. The gunner nodded with a quick glance between the two of them as he slowly pushed himself up to saunter over and sit in one of the chairs next to Ignis. Once he was certain both of them were out of earshot, he looked back to the brute. "You know you're a reckless dumbass, right?" he shot words right back at him that he was sure he's heard countless times over.

With a scoff, Gladio glared back towards the darkened sky. "And, whose fault is that? I seem to recall you standing directly in that things way." There wasn't an ounce of animosity, simply fact, and that's probably what made Noctis so annoyed with that man.

"You still didn't have to risk your life," he bit out, plopping down next to the other. "I could have gotten out of there myself."

"Oh yeah," the shield challenged, "Then why the hell didn't you move?"

Noctis bit his lip a that, and he didn't have a reason. "So, maybe I didn't notice right away...but I would have after another second."

"After another second it would have been you lying here, not me," and he wasn't wrong, and they both knew it. "Just leave it, princess, I knew what I was getting into before all this. I assure you, I'm fully prepared for what this job entails, and I suggest you get used to it as well, because it's only going to get worse from here."

The raven sighed and dropped his gaze, "It doesn't have to. I'm not going to let it come to something like this again, that I can promise. And, if I do, I'll let you kick my ass yourself." He managed to get a small chuckle out of the man at that, clearly he was looking forward to that. "Just, try not to get yourself killed in the future."

"The same can be said to you," they shared a few minutes of silence before Gladio finally yawned. "I think I'm going to listen to Iggy's advice and get some sleep."

"Yeah, that sounds like a good idea. Mind if I join you out here? I doubt Ignis would appreciate if we left you out here alone in the middle of the night."

Already half asleep, the shield muttered a quiet, "Do whatever ya want." And not a moment later, his soft snores sounded out, this time in a peaceful slumber instead of the previous restless and agonized one. There was still the obvious discomfort form the pain and fever, but he was out on his own accord this time.


	20. Do It For Them

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With the aftermath with Leviathan a Altissia, the guys are left a little more than in shambles. Both Gladio and Prompto are doing what they can while the others are out of commission, and stress is getting the better of them all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta read by: Sinikka_von_Wolperting
> 
> Request for: Musiclife1988

Prompto tore his eyes away from Noctis long enough to check the time for before they were back on the prince; not wanting to miss it should he show any signs of waking any time soon. It's already been two days, how long was he planning on taking? His hands continued their mundane task of fiddling in his lap, only five more minutes before he'd have to be on his way. So, if he was going to open his eyes, then dammit, he better make it quick.

"Sure are takin' your time," he chuckled under his breath, his hands ceasing their movement. "You can't sleep forever," it was sighed out and he leaned back a bit in his chair to again check the time. Make that four more minutes.

Shuffling on the other side of the room pulled him out of his partial trance, followed by a gruff, "I'm guessing you won't be sticking around today either?" There was no hiding his frustration and wavering annoyance with the blond. "I mean, would it really kill you to at least help out around here and take care of them?" Surprisingly, his voice was low, but to the other, that only seemed to make it more intimidating and vicious.

"Sorry, but I have something else...to take care of," he glanced his eyes over, but it was long enough to catch the expression on the other's face.

"So tell me, what's so important that it takes priority over these two? Huh?" he walked closer, his arms crossed over his chest. "Noctis is unconscious and Ignis is injured, and you're running around all over the place. So, what the hell's going on?"

Prompto bit his lip and refused to look at the man. "It's nothing, alright?" he whispered, hating how small and defeated he sounded. "I-I'll tell you later, when all this is over," he didn't wait to be pressed further before jolting to his feet and weaving his way around the shield. "I'll be back tonight," he muttered and slinked out the door, making sure to pull it shut behind him.

He took a moment to stand there, and he could almost touch the animosity through the door; and, he knew it must have looked sketchy, and possibly downright dirty from the outside for him to be dipping out these last couple of days. But, he knew in the end, the big guy would understand, for now, he'd just have to try and deal with the consequences of acting so stand-offish and mysterious.

Taking a deep breath, he began his long and tedious trudge down the hall, keeping his head lowered as he passed by others, others that had loved ones in poor condition, or those that were simply here to prove their skills for those in need. Seeing the concern on their faces in passing was guilt-wrenching, of course. He felt he should be here by their sides the entire time through this, and he promised he'd make it up somehow, one way or another.

Walking out the front entrance, he was hit with the outdoor breeze, salt clinging to every molecule as he breathed it in. The scent of it, however, did nothing but accentuate the calamity that took place. Everyone here would probably associate this odor with the tragedy that took place, and that didn't sit well. His right hand reached up to lightly brush over his camera, making sure he hadn't forgotten it; mainly because he really didn't want to do a walk of shame right back into their room.

He began the arduous journey towards the place where this all went straight to hell, and he spent the time walking mentally preparing himself to look upon it again. It was always like a punch in the gut when his eyes caught sight of the first signs of the events that took place: A crumbled building here, a pond of water there, and then there were the countless MT remains that served to decorated the once pristine streets. Such a shame that something so beautiful had been reduced to a distorted shadow of its former self.

"There you are, what took ya?" a slightly overweight brunet man asked, waving him over as he swiped the back of his hand over his brow.

The blond bowed his head in apology, "Oh, sorry." He scratched the back of his neck nervously, "I was a bit caught up...with friends in the, uh, ward." The man seemed to hum in sympathy before shaking his head, understanding the weight of it all. "Well, what do you need for today?"

He pondered for a moment before settling on something. "Same thing as yesterday," he sighed, "Get as many shots as you can on the area, we need them for the reports. And, just try to get as many angles as possible..." He paused before the next part, the thought of it causing his breath to hitch. "Also, if you happen to, you know, come across a body...let someone know and make sure not to get those in the shots. The last thing we need is someone finding out about a loved one that way." He awkwardly cleared his throat before waving the blond away.

"On it," Prompto uttered, lifting his camera to hold it between both hands as he stepped away, already snapping a few photos as he went. Wasn't the most glorious of jobs...but at least he was getting paid for it, and that's all that mattered. Every bit of income helped to chip away at the medical bills, so there was no reason to complain about any of it.

* * *

"Swear, the kid's hopeless," Gladio grumbled, placing an elbow on the table next to Ignis' bed and leaned his head in his hand. "He's probably been here a total of ten hours since it happened, and I'm pretty sure most of those hours were spent sleeping."

The adviser hummed next to him, just to indicate that he was listening, given that watching him wasn't a reliable option anymore. "Gladio..." he spoke lowly, his face cast downward, "I don't think you should concern yourself with it too much."

"Like hell I should," he leaned back in order to cross his legs, "He needs to be here helping out, not off doing it whatever he deems is more important." The shield took in a deep breath and slowly released it before falling into a bit of silence. A small hiss pulled him back in the moment, and he glanced at Ignis in time to see his left hand hovering in front of his eyes, clearly hesitating in touching them.

Sitting back up, he leaned forward, "Does it hurt?"

"No, I'm quite alright," he assured, slowly dropping it back against the sheets. "What of His Highness?" he changed the subject, completely disregarding any worry about himself. "Has he showed any signs of waking?" He tried not to get his hopes up too much, but he was beginning to grow impatient and more than a little anxious about the amount of time he was taking.

The other slowly shook his head while looking away, stopping instantly with a pang when he realized what he was doing. "Sorry, but it looks like it might be just a little bit longer." He noticed the slight falter in the other's features. "But, at least he doesn't seem any worse, so that's a plus, I guess," now he was obviously stretching for the positivity, but Ignis appreciated it nonetheless. The brunet offered somewhat of a grateful smile, which swiftly fled his face when a few light coughs found their way out. "I'll go get some water," the larger man pushed himself up with a grunt and ran a hand through his hair. "Need anything else?"

Ignis stubbornly shook his head, "No..." There was no doubt that something was on his mind, but whatever it was was never voiced as he locked it inside. Gladio narrowed his eyes and furrowed his brow but chose not to push the issue, they all had enough on their minds as it were.

It wasn't long before he returned, glass of water in hand as he gently pushed it into the brunet's unsure grip. He waited until the man had a solid hold on it before he dared to take his hands away. "You got it?" he assumed the tightening of Ignis' mouth was enough of an answer. "Alright, just don't spill it."

"I can't see, Gladio. I assure you my motor skills are still intact," he replied snippily, his face softening right afterwards. "I apologize, I guess I'm just...tired."

"Don't worry about it," he waved it away. "I should probably go check on Noct," he stepped away, slowly making his way towards the bed on the other side of the room. On the way over, his foot caught on something, and he let out a stifled grunt from the surprise of it. "Dammit," he swore under his breath, glancing down to see it was Prompto's bag.

He crouched down to start collecting the spilled items, stopping when he came across a coin pouch, and just from the sounds it procured it didn't take a genius to figure out it was a bag of gil...and quite a bit of it. This struck him as weird, since when did their gunner have his own savings? "What the..." he tossed the rest of his belonging back in the luggage and left the pouch grasped in his left hand; he'd question him about it later.

* * *

After another snap of his camera, Prompto took a seat on a piece of debris and began flitting through the images, his heart dropping with each sight he saw. For once in his life, he'd rather not be capturing the moment and instead just forget it ever happened. He closed his eyes and turned his head away when he came across a particular devastating image and clicked away from it.

"Here," he brought his attention up to meet the face of some middle-aged brunette woman. Then down to her outstretched hand which contained his payment.

"Thanks," he mumbled, accepting it and ejecting the SD card to hand over to her. "About a hundred on there, hope that's plenty," he continued, tone dull and drawled out. She nodded her thanks and walked away. Stuffing his payment in his pocket, he reluctantly got to his feet to start heading to his next stop, another in which he wasn't exactly thrilled about partaking in.

It wasn't a lot of walking until he reached his next destination, his stomach already knotting up out of morbid anticipation. Prompto walked up to the small gathering of people just before they parted, each sporting their own masks and glove, every face wielding a cloned expression of the other. Joining the man leading the search, he retrieved his own accessories and reluctantly got to work, walking in one of the directions that had few others.

Even though an evacuation had been set in motion hours before things went sour, there were always those that weren't fortunate enough to make it out in time; people that had to be found, and bodies that had to be sniffed out and collected. His entire body shuddered at the thought of it, despite having found a couple the day before, it just wasn't something you got used to. His legs moved on their own, knowing that if he put too much thought into it, he'd surely stop on the spot and maybe even turn around and head back.

"This is for them," he told himself, his left hand balling up, "Just suck it up and get it over with." Holding his breath, he stopped at a corner, glancing down two different ways to find both in shambles. Well, this explained why they accepted his help so easily, probably not a lot of people that were able to traverse the area with enough ease.

He chose one at random and headed down, his heart beating a thousand times a minute as his eyes darted around in search of any details indicating a person. That's when his chest clenched painfully, his feet halting his movement at what he could only assume to be an arm...protruding out from under a pile of rubble. The blond breathed out slowly, already feeling slightly light-headed and ill from the one limb alone.

"Alright, not a huge problem...it could be worse," he wrapped his arms around himself as he gradually strolled over. It felt like a lifetime until he was finally about a foot away and he crouched down; there wasn't a need to touch it, it was pretty clear it was lifeless. Sighing, he retrieved the whistle from his pocket and gave it a quick and curt blow. The shrill sound pierced through the air and it wasn't long after that he heard footsteps quickly approaching.

Everything seemed to play out in slow motion as he was less than gently guided away in order to allow the heavy-lifters to get to work. And, he had no problem in turning his back on the scene and finding his own way out of their way.

"We got it from here, you can go search elsewhere for the time being," one of them called over to him. In other words, 'Stop standing around and make yourself useful somewhere else.'

"Right," he uttered, still a bit shaken from the image and swiftly jogged away to head down one of the other streets. He expected to see things like that...just not right off the bat, or in such a state. It was disturbing to put to lightly, and something he wouldn't be forgetting any time soon.

This went on for hours, up until the breeze took on a biting chill to it. Luckily, that first corpse was the only one he came across, so he at least had that. He was just ready to get back to the others and put all this behind him. He still had a few jobs lined up for tomorrow, but none of them were quite as heavy as these; mostly just clean-up jobs. Though, he'd seen enough of the damage to know what to expect.

By the time he reached their temporary home, the sun was on the verge of setting, making its decent the moment he placed his hand on the handle and pushed his way inside. He let out a small noise of relief at the idea of being able to forget that day's trouble for at least the night. Practically dragging his feet, he trudged down the halls, turning corner after corner until he spotted their room at the end of it, and he could already feel the comfort of hiding away in it.

He glanced away for only a moment, and as he looked back over, he paused momentarily at the figure standing there. It didn't take a genius to figure out the owner of the large frame. "Gladio?" he raised an eyebrow and closed the distance between them. "So, are there any changes?"

"You'd know if you actually stuck around," the shield shot back. "Where have you been running off to anyway?" accusation embellished his words.

"Just...busy," he shrugged, making a move to head inside, but was held back by a solid hand on his chest. "Gladdy? What's the deal?" it was now his turn to let a bit of his frustration shine through.

The larger man narrowed his gaze and removed his hand to cross his arms. "The deal is, I've been running around here ever since we've got here looking after these tow. And, what have you been doing? Off doing who knows what when you're needed here." Prompto opened and closed his mouth in an attempt to defend himself, but he was instantly cut off, "Also, do you care to explain this?" He held up the pouch of funds and dropped it to the floor with a small 'ching'.

"It's savings," he muttered, averting his gaze.

"For what?" Gladio retorted after a split second. "Did you plan on, I dunno, letting us know you had that. You know how low we are on money, and given the bills from this place, I thin-"

"What do you think it's for?" the blond uncharacteristically snapped back, his hand fishing around in his pocket as he showered down the gil he made from that day. "This is for the bills; that's what I've been doing. If you'd give someone the chance to explain for once..." He didn't wait for a response, he didn't want to hear it, before he shoved by the man, slamming the door behind him.

His eyes darted to his right, and he instantly regretted his moment of heated behavior. "Iggy," he sighed, spotting the man with his face in his direction, a scowl of discomfort on his features. "I'm sorry, about that." He pushed himself away form the door and headed over to sit next to him, his hands clasped in his lap.

"Prompto," the adviser greeted, his head still turned towards the door. "Where is Gladio?"

He could hear the irritated exhale next to him, "In the hall. Probably looking for someone else to interrogate." Leaning back, he cut his eyes over to Noctis' bed, saddened to see him in the exact same position as when he was last here. "Still hasn't budged?" he asked, knowing the answer.

"I'm afraid not," the brunet sounded just as distraught by it.

"Oh, and Ignis..." the other perked up at the weight in his tone, "Sorry...about being away so much. But, I've been busy with other stuff, and I promise I'll make it up. It's just, well, with the whole money issues, and the me not being good with bedside manners, I thought I could find another way to help, so..."

The adviser cleared his throat to cut him off. "You're rambling," he informed. "Although, if this is about Gladio, then don't think much of it. We're all a bit under stress, and you know that's just his way of dealing with it."

"I know," the blond muttered. "But still-" he abruptly clamped his mouth back up as the door opened and he heard the shield waltz on in. For a few minutes no one said a word; Prompto only glanced when the pouch was dropped on the table next to him. "Thanks," he whispered, afraid to say any more than that.

Gladio awkwardly took the seat next to him, sparing no more time before throwing it out there. "Prom, I think I probably shouldn't have jumped the gun," it sounded clumsy coming out of his mouth, but it seemed genuine enough. "It's all in there," he nodded to the bag, "By the way. Even what was thrown to the floor," his lips tightened and Prompto's face changed shades at remembering his moment of childish actions.

Ignis wasn't exactly caught up on the details, but he's heard enough to get the jist of the problem here. He chose to stay out of this one though; this was between them and from the sounds of things, they were already on the right track to working through it. "Probably...shouldn't have done that," Prompto shrugged in embarrassment.

"Eh, can't say I acted much better," the other agreed. "Guess it's fair to say we both acted like a couple of asses out there."

"One more than the other," the blond teased under his breath and looked away. "Let's just forget about it," he offered, "I'd rather just go to sleep; I have a few more things to do tomorrow, and I have to be up pretty early."

"Yeah," the brute nodded, "Go do that." He watched the other's back as he walked away, taking his usual spot in one of the chairs next to the window and curled himself up on it. He never realized how small the kid looked when he lied like that, and the thought of him taking jobs just to pay things off left a foul taste in his mouth. "I think I'm too hard on him," he spoke quietly and turned back forward.

The brunet hummed, almost like he was agreeing. "Perhaps, but he understands your intentions. He's not dumb, and he won't hold any of this against you," he assured. "But, I do agree, it wouldn't hurt to tone it down a bit from time to time." Honestly, the guy gave him a headache from his uncontrolled anger quite frequently.

Gladio glanced back over to the gunner, long gone as his chest rose and fell in a rhythm. "I'll apologize properly when all this is over; don't wanna do it too early on the chance I'll have to take it back." Ignis smiled at the clear joking in his voice, knowing that talk would most likely come first thing in the morning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uhhhhhh, so I think Imma stop taking requests until I can cut this list down a tad. XD Sorry, but it got pretty long, so just need some time to get a few done before opening it back up to new ones. But, if you have questions or anything, you can reach me on Tumblr as well.
> 
> Queue as of now:
> 
> Shiary  
ScribeOfRhapsody  
ellaygee  
Hollypopstop  
Kloudia1  
laurelilith  
Kestrealbird  
Snow  
mabver321  
MasterThiefWolf  
Tabbys_desire  
the lazy one  
Crystal  
Ann  
'Anonymous4'  
Robin  
Luna the Wolf Mage  
FredrikssonT  
MsChievous  
NicoleBL


	21. Dangerous Mistake

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Noctis falls ill in the middle of the night, the others quickly figure out what the cause of it was, and it doesn't sit well with the adviser.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta read by: Sinikka_von_Wolperting
> 
> Request for: Shiary

“You know, you can’t baby him forever,” Gladio half teased, half grumbled as he took a bite of his mixed vegetables. He watched the prince in stifled annoyance as he poked and prodded the mushrooms on his plate, slowly eating them, but he clearly wasn’t exactly enjoying them.

Ignis glanced up at the shield and then over to Noctis. “It’s the only thing he’ll tolerate,” he shrugged, “And you know how fussy he gets when I try to get him to eat anything else.

“I’m right here,” the raven sighed, brow twitching at the blond’s light chuckle. “And I can’t help it that those,” he pointed at the heap of carrots and broccoli and other veggies on Prompto’s plate with his fork and a look of disgust, “are completely unappetizing.”

The gunner seemed to give a small smirk of agreement as he followed the prongs of the utensil. “Well,” he started, taking another bite of them, “They aren’t that bad once you give them a real try. I mean, I haven’t always liked them; guess it’s sort of an acquired taste.”

Something incoherent was mumbled under his breath, and then muffled by another mushroom popped in his mouth. But, whatever it was, they could tell it was complaining of some sort. But it sounded something like, ‘Aren’t that bad, my ass.’ Or, that’s what they could have only assumed it was.

“Whatever floats your boat,” Gladio brushed it off, letting Noctis have this one...at least they were somewhat healthy, he guessed.

“Good,” the other unessecarily responded. The shield shook his head slowly as they all finished their respective meals in mostly silence; aside from a joke here and a casual conversation there. And they saw a rare sight, Noctis managed to eat his ‘vegetables’. Despite them not exactly being that, but they were close enough in the adviser’s eyes. And then something even more shocking occurred; he was actually assisting in the cleaning up.

The brunet raised a questionable eyebrow at the raven. “Noct, are you feeling quite alright?”

In reply, he darted his gaze around, almost offended by the inquiry, “Yeeeaaahh, why?” He folded his arms and set the other with a pointed look.

“No reason,” he gave a knowing smile as he handed him another plate to wipe clean. Noctis narrowed his eyes in confusion, but dropped it for the time being. They continued tidying things up and by the time they were done, they were all sitting comfortably around the fire; relaxing in their chairs until it started to get rather late. By the end of their night, the prince, unbeknownst to the others, started growing more quiet by the minute until he fell mostly silent for the majority of the time. He couldn’t quite put his finger on it, but something definitely felt...off.

That being said, he was the first one to duck and hunker down in the tent without so much as a word to the others. It wasn’t long after that before he was curled up on his side with the cover wrapped tightly around himself. After a few minutes went by, it was Prompto who first noticed his absence. “Uhh, where’d Noct go?” he asked looking to his chair before whipping his head in the direction of the tent.

“Maybe he was just tired,” Gladio answered, sounding more than a little unsurprised. Wasn’t particularly out of the ordinary for the prince to go to bed earlier than the rest. After all, he seemed to spend more time asleep than awake.

“I guess,” the blond sighed, leaning further into his seat and crossing his legs. Yawning, he blinked heavily a few times, and the idea of following the other’s example and calling it a night was more than a little tempting. “Well, I think I’m gonna join him,” he grunted, pushing himself up. “Night,” a small wave and he was pulling back the flap of the tent and disappearing inside.

The other two decided to stay up for about an hour longer, falling into their own musings and small talk until the fire showed its first signs of departing itself. At that point, Gladio turned in before the other, waving and uttering his goodnight before heading towards the tent. Ignis returned the gesture with a nod of his head and spent a few more minutes out in peace; as the last flickers of flame threatened to leave, he pushed himself up with a grunt and a stretch.

He made certain to stomp out the remaining embers, grinding his shoe on the last of them before he was satisfied they were out for good and climbed in after the others. The brunet wasn’t in there for long until the prince’s tosses and turns began to grate on his nerves; the guy could never seem to find a comfortable position and stick with it.

* * *

Something wasn’t sitting right, no matter how much he shifted or repositioned himself, he just found it impossible to settle on any one spot. He was hot, there was this deep sensation of unease, and there was this overall feeling of mere disgust. Unwarranted, a distressed whine leaked out from barely parted lips and one of his arms wrapped protectively around himself. Noctis flipped ungracefully to his side to face the back of the tent, a subtle sweat could be felt forming on his brow.

The raven exhaled a shaky breath and tried to take a few slower ones, but each one only increased his growing nausea. He tried to will it away, hoping it would help, only getting the opposite effect instead as it continued to get worse by the second. It soon got to the point where it couldn’t be ignored anymore, and the tent was beginning to feel tight and overly heated. The need to exit was overwhelming, and all manners went into the trash as he climbed over his comrades, not caring that he kneed one of them and even earned a groan of pain. But, in his haste, he couldn’t discern which it was.

Clumsily, he spilled out of the entrance onto his hands and knees and frantically resorted to shuffling off until he felt he was far enough away before coming to a stop. Not a moment later, he could feel his body shuddering and quickly transition into heaving until he knew what was coming next. Noctis wasn’t sure if the others could hear or not, but he was very aware of the amount of sounds he was making; and, if he weren’t in the middle of throwing up, he’d be cringing at it.

In the background, once the noises died down enough, he could pick up on a pair of footsteps, precise and carefully paced. There was no need to look back to know who they belonged to. They weren’t heavy enough to be Gladio, and not reluctant enough to be Prompto. “Your Highness,” he spoke quietly, clearly meaning to get a response and nothing more.

“Hmm?” he hummed, not turning his head as the ill-feeling still gripped at him. The other went silent when a few more gags wracked his form and he finally felt fine enough to sit back and take a few steadying breaths.

“Is everything alright, Noct?” the brunet questioned, at his side in an instant and trying to support the other without having need to be asked.

Surprisingly, his assistance wasn’t brushed off, which in of itself was worrisome. “I’m fine,” he stubbornly said, going to stand back up. His falter at the sudden change in stature beckoned the adviser to take on most of his weight.

“I find that hard to believe,” he muttered. No persuasion was necessary for Noctis to lean against him further, honestly feeling too drained to support himself at the moment. As he pressed against the man, there was this undeniable heat wafting off and hitting Ignis. “Let’s get you back to camp,” he whispered, carefully turning him in the right direction and slowly guided him over. He took him towards the closest chair and slowly lowered him down into it.

“Thanks,” he mumbled, instantly sinking into it and leaning his head back. “Damn, it’s freaking hot,” he complained without thinking.

Ignis hummed his acknowledgement, “I wonder if the fever has anything to do with it.” He glanced over in time to see the prince narrow his eyes at him. “In all seriousness though, how do you feel?”

At first, he shrugged, unable to properly surmise this into words. Then, “I feel like shit.” That would suffice well enough for the time being. Another moan escaped him, and he didn’t care how pitiful or needy it made him sound, he really felt like garbage, so it was understandable. “I hate this,” he mostly mouthed, but the other still caught onto it.

“Were you feeling bad earlier?” he raised an eyebrow, almost expecting to get a lie as a response. He kept a pair of emeralds locked onto him, daring him to say anything aside from the truth.

Noctis considered the question for a moment, trying to recall when it started. “Um, I-I’m not sure,” he shrugged, biting his lip when he heard that telltale foot tap. “I guess it was a couple hours after we ate,” he corrected. Not that he felt terrible at the time, but that was about when he started to feel less than ideal. “But, it wasn’t like this until just before…” he trailed off, getting his point across just fine.

For a few seconds, Ignis stared at him to wage whether he was telling the truth or not, and he didn’t see anything in the way he moved or spoke that would indicate any stretching of the truth. He nodded slowly, showing that he believed every word of it. “I’ll be right back,” he held up a finger, “I’ll get you some water.” He heard a small groan of protest from behind, but paid it no mind.

Noctis wanted to roll his eyes at the man, throw up one time and he felt the need to hover. The only thing preventing him from doing so was the light throbs in his head, and he knew any sudden eye movements would most likely cause his surroundings to swirl and distort. The fact that he had closed them at some point had gone unnoticed until he felt a light tap on his shoulder and opened them to find a bottle of water held out for him. His appreciation was muttered as he gradually unscrewed the cap.

The raven took only a few sips, feeling like anything beyond the first was pushing it as his stomach tried to cramp with that small amount. Grimacing, he handed both the bottle and the lid back over to free up his arms and wrap them around himself.

“You alright?” Ignis asked, closing the container for him and sat it aside. His heart clenched slightly at the small shake of the head he received. “Do you feel as though you may become sick again?” At that, he got a nod. Sighing out of sympathy, he wasted no time in collecting the ailing prince and carefully helped him to stand and swiftly guided him back to where he found him the first time.

As soon as they were near the edge of the haven, Noctis pulled himself away with quite surprising strength for someone who just accepted help getting over here. Just like before, the moment he was down, everything escalated. This time, he was aware of a couple more voices approaching, and his gut twisted in a different way...most likely out of humiliation at being seen in this position. Ignis was one thing, he’d seen him sick plenty of times before, but the others, not quite so much. “Are you guys...enjoying the show?” he asked between pants, hoping that the bite made its way through the shuddering.

He heard the apologetic clearing of a throat and then at least one of them backed up, and by the sound of it, he assumed it to be Prompto. “Sorry,” he whispered. Yup, it was him.

The raven took a couple more minutes to make sure he was done this time, and with a nod as his signal, he was being hoisted back up to his feet. “Think it’s food poisoning?” Gladio asked, with a small smirk in Ignis’ direction, looking for the reaction he knew that would drag out of the other.

And, he got it. It was nothing more than a cut of the eyes over to him, but it was more than what he could have hoped for. “Easy,” he turned back to his charge when one of his steps were misplaced and he almost stumbled.

Noctis breathed out heavily at that, as if he had planned on sprinting over. He kept his comments to himself though, perhaps if he were in a better mood he speak of his unamusement; but, now wasn’t the time for that. Hunkering back down in his seat, he flinched as something was draped around his shoulders, it took him a few seconds longer than he would have liked to realize it was a blanket.

“It’s uh, kinda cold out here,” Prompto stated a tad nervously. No idea why he was like that, but he thought it was safe to say he just wasn’t used to dealing with sick people.

“Thanks,” he pulled it tighter around himself despite the fact that he wasn’t exactly cold, but didn’t want disregard the gesture either. He leaned his head downward to try and alleviate some of the dizziness it held

The blond took the seat next to him, seeing as he was certain none of them would be getting a lot of sleep now. He twiddled with his thumbs for a moment before speaking, “You think it could be something he ate? I mean, no one else is feeling sick, are they?” he glanced around to the others.

“We all had the same thing,” Noctis instantly replied and drew his knees up to curl up as much as he was able.

“Not exactly,” Gladio replied, folding his arms and looking back to Ignis. “None of us ate the mushrooms.” The adviser met the accusing gaze and his mouth tightened into a straight line.

Pushing his glasses up, he retorted, “And, what do you mean by that?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” the shield answered incredulously, “Clearly the mushrooms were bad.” He shrugged as if it were the most crystal thing even said.

The brunet stood perfectly still for a moment, not uttering a word as he looked between Noctis and the others. “If you are accusing me of something such as poisoning hi-”

“That’s not what I’m saying,” the brute interrupted out of frustration, the statement on the verge of venturing into growling territory. “All I’m saying is, it could have been a simple mistake...a deadly one,” he muttered the second part.

“Gladdy…” Prompto whispered, wanting them to cut it out before things could go any further. “Whatever happened, it happened. Nothing to do about it now, right?” he chuckled lightly. The larger man huffed and took one of the other seats.

All of their attentions swiveled in the direction of Noctis as a groan pulled them in. “I’d just like it if you’d all shuddup,” he slurred out less than gracefully, one hand working to shield his eyes from nothing. He didn’t feel like he was going to puke again, but the feeling still lingered deep down. “If you’re gonna argue, then do it somewhere else.”

They all fell unnaturally silent at that, a bit of shame seeping into them. Without a word, the adviser stepped away, quickly strolling over to his belongings as he filtered through them in a haste. All, except the raven, watched on in somewhat curiosity mixed with confusion. Their unasked inquiries were answered when he procured what was left of the mushrooms and he placed them on the table.

With that taken care of, the next thing he pulled out was a book and placed that next to the fungus before finally standing up to look over both the items. Still, no one said anything as he flung through a few pages and finally settled on one to read through, and he still glanced from that to the mushrooms.

The subtle shuffling of his feet and the unnerving quiet that fell over him told the others the severity of what he found. “Iggy?” Gladio spoke up first, the anticipation getting to him.

“One of you, check to see how many antidotes we have left,” the lack of real emotion in his tone caused ice to course through them as fear replaced their previous flaring feelings. “Did you hear me?” he turned, getting a bit more authority into his voice. That seemed to light a fire under the two of them, both of them instantly making their move.

The way he spoke sent an unwanted chill through Noctis, and he couldn’t prevent the widening of his eyes or the tightening in his chest. “What’s going on?” he questioned, locking twilights onto Ignis the moment he turned to face him.

The adviser let out a heavy sigh, “Noct, I believe you may have mushroom poisoning.” He saw the shadowed panic in his eyes, “But, it’s not deadly...not necessarily.” He corrected himself with a cock of his head. “It can make you sick, but this particular one isn’t fatal,” he assured, looking back over the book to make sure. “These look very similar,” he said mostly to himself. “They’re pretty easy to mix up.”

“So,” Noctis began, “Gladio was right.”

Ignis faced him, a look of irritation on his features. “Technically, yes,” he deadpanned. “To be fair, though, they look identical to the safe ones.”

The other wanted to have more fun with this, wanted to never let Ignis live this down, but the cramps and other issues he was having wouldn’t allow him the time to milk this. He settled on a groan and tightened into a more condensed ball.

“Here,” his distracted mind picked up on the voice of Gladio and pried one eye open as he handed the adviser a couple of vials. “These are our last two, think they’ll be enough?”

He nodded, “Should be more than enough. One would work fine, but I want to be sure it works.” There was no more waiting, no more hesitation and he popped the first one open and strolled over to crouch next to Noctis. “Alright, think you can drink this?” he didn’t give him a moment to reply as he manually wrapped one of his hands around the glass.

Again, a sound of distress left him, and he gave the container a repulsed look. “Later,” he uttered, trying to shove it back.

“Noct,” he warned, not letting him get his way this time. “You have to drink it. Do that, and this can be over in no time,” he tried his best to convince, speaking slowly and firmly. His tone told that he wasn’t going to back down. “If you do it now, you can get it over with.”

He weighed his options internally, and all of them lead to the same conclusion, the same one that Ignis was pressing to do. Nodding, he took the antidote in both his hands, holding it until he was certain he’d be able to keep it down long enough for it to actually work. And, it was slow, but gradually he managed to get it all down. “There,” he sighed, roughly handing the now empty glass back.

“Just give that a few minutes, and if there isn’t much difference, then I want you to drink the other.”

“Yeah, because more of something that doesn’t work makes it work,” he bitterly retorted, this time feeling fine enough to roll his eyes. There was no mistaking the unamused expression on the advisers face.

Standing up, he kept his eyes on the other, “Just let me know if things get worse.” And, with that, they waited. They gave the single curative time to work its magic, glad that Noctis never voiced anything that would indicate things heading south. So, that was a good sign at least. There were a few questionable moments where he gagged or let out the occasional groan, but they were becoming less and further between.

“Think you’ll need the other?” the brunet asked after ten minutes went by. He held the vial within view as if trying to silently sway his decision. Which was apparently not needed for Noctis to give his acceptance of the substance.

“May as well,” he sighed, trying to play it off. With that, the next was down, this one going down quite a bit faster and easier than the first. This one also didn’t give the initial need to want to spit it back out, which was reassuring. Huddling up, he made himself comfortable for another short wait, but he was a tad disappointed when the feeling didn’t dissipate completely. “Well, I guess the fact that I don’t feel like throwing up is good enough.”

Ignis offered a small smirk, “That’s ideal, they can’t fix things back up to one hundred percent,” he reminded. “But, they can help your body with the boost it needs.”

“Of course,” he breathed out, slightly annoyed by this. Would be nice if they did more than that, but who was he to complain; at this rate, it was possible for him to feel better by morning, and that was more than he could have hoped for.

“Hey,” the brunet got Noctis’ attention in an oddly casual way for him, “I think I should apologize.” He looked to the ground, the shame he felt tangible to the others. “I know it wasn’t bad this time, but it could have been. It was quite lucky it wasn’t worse than it was.”

Raising an eyebrow, he scoffed, “Is this about the stupid mushrooms?” The lack of an answer told him he hit the mark. “Mistakes happen,” he brushed off, not understanding the severity of the possibilities. “Like Prom said, can’t go back and fix it.”

“Perhaps, but it still should not have been a risk in the first place,” he shot back, all anger or frustration in his tone directed at himself. “I should be better than this, and to think, if it had been something else, then this could have turned out so much more problematic than it did.” He ended with a deep breath, signalling that he was done for the time being, but also that there would be more where that came from.

“Or, if someone would just eat their vegetables,” Prompto squeezed out between forced coughs, receiving non-humorous looks from the others. “Sorry,” he dramatically raised his hands in defense.

Letting the tension drain from his shoulders, Ignis looked back up, “Think you’re well enough to head back to the tent? I think it’d be in your best interest to try and get some proper rest,” Ignis suggested, already on his feet with a hand outstretched to the prince.

Shrugging, he took the gloved hand and permitted himself to be pulled up. “Do I really have a choice?” he joked.

“Not particularly,” his strategist replied to the rhetorical question. “But, it’s not as if I’d be able to force you.”

Waving his free hand, Noctis did pull away a little, able to support himself relatively fine now. “Right, but I’m only going because I’m exhaust’d,” he yawned, staggering towards the tent with the other close behind should he have any mishaps on the way over. Which was a bit irritating with the tent only being a few yards away. Together, they made it there without incident, which wasn’t that impressive of an accomplishment.

“Should we go ahead too?” the blond asked, looking to the shield.

“Well, I sure as hell ain’t standing out here all night,” he clapped the younger on the shoulder on the way by, almost knocking him over with the force of it.

Prompto rubbed the area, “Dude, you tryna dislocate it?” He skipped forward a few steps to catch up. By the time both of them entered, the prince was already out cold, his light snores filling up the interior of their shelter. That being said, they both eased their way around, deciding to just let him be despite the fact that he was taking up about half the space with the way he had sprawled out. He could get away with it for this night, and this night only.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uhhhhhh, so I think Imma stop taking requests until I can cut this list down a tad. XD Sorry, but it got pretty long, so just need some time to get a few done before opening it back up to new ones. But, if you have questions or anything, you can reach me on Tumblr as well.
> 
> Queue as of now:
> 
> ScribeOfRhapsody  
ellaygee  
Hollypopstop  
Kloudia1  
laurelilith  
Kestrealbird  
Snow  
mabver321  
MasterThiefWolf  
Tabbys_desire  
the lazy one  
Crystal  
Ann  
'Anonymous4'  
Robin  
Luna the Wolf Mage  
FredrikssonT  
MsChievous  
NicoleBL


	22. Tag Along

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When the guys have no choice but to weather the night without the protection of a haven, someone unexpected drops in.
> 
> ~Highspecs~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta read by: Sinikka_von_Wolperting  
and istoleyourcheesecake
> 
> Request for: ScribeOfRhapsody
> 
> If I don't update in a while, it's because of the hurricanes which will most likely knock our power out for a while. Last time it was out for a week, so yeah, it's very likely to happen this time as well.~

Ignis couldn't hide his growing concern as the hues of the sky above them continued their decent into that of darkness. Unconsciously, he chewed on his lower lip as realization was swiftly bearing down that they were still in the middle of nowhere with no signs of a haven anywhere within view. Though, it were possible that one was merely obscured by nearby boulders or foliage, but that seemed fairly unlikely to the man.

Nearby, he could make out the continuous banter and jokes of their youngest two comrades while Gladio seemed to be pondering the same worries as himself.

"Any suggestions?" the shield asked, arms crossed in an expectant way, his eyes scanning the area in the same futile search as the adviser's.

Solemnly, the brunet shook his head. "I suggest we either make our way back towards the Regalia, or we find refuge in the safest location we can. Though, both of those options have their risks, ones I'm sure don't need voicing." The tightness in his voice urged the other to nod along in understanding.

"I'm guessing finding a place to hunker down in would be our best bet now," he muttered, looking in the direction of their vehicle to see it nowhere within view. It'd take them about an hour and a half to get back, and it didn't look as though they even had an hour of light left.

Ignis only nodded, quickly agreeing with him. "I would suggest we find a suitable place with protection on at least one side; and I don't believe a cave would be in our best interest," he muttered, hand reaching to readjust his glasses in thought. "Anywhere where we won't be vulnerable from all sides."

Humming his understanding, Gladio strolled to catch up to the other two, who were forever oblivious to the happenings around them. While the brunet remained where he was, the others were filled in before the three of them all returned.

Noctis, predictably, didn't appear to be too enthused about this decision. "We really have to sleep out here?" he asked incredulously, eyebrow raised in a sign of annoyance.

"Please," the adviser countered, "tell me if you happen to see any five-star hotels around." He tapped his foot impatiently for a response, but only received a half-assed shrug. "I didn't think so. And, unless you can think of a way to get the four of us back to the Regalia before night arrives, then we don't really have much of a choice."

"Alright, I get it," the prince waved a hand, turning his head to hide his reddening features from the humiliation.

With that being said, there was still a second audible groan from the blond, though he chose to keep his opinions to himself after witnessing the spectacle of Noctis' attempt. He stretched his arms up and placed them behind his head as a yawn escaped him. "Sooooo," he started, taking a few tentative steps closer to the others, "guess we don't get to be picky this time." He chuckled lightly to himself, but no one appeared to be amused.

"Nope, gotta sleep in the dirt," Gladio answered after a few seconds. Without waiting for the others, he turned on his heel and waved the others to follow, "What are you waiting for, directions from daemons? We don't really have a lot of time to waste."

There were two sighs that sounded out in response, and it didn't take an investigation to figure out which two it was. Just as Prompto had said earlier, they didn't get to be choosy, and the brute set his eyes on the first thing he spotted that seemed suitable enough for their needs. Nothing but a large boulder, but it was better than nothing. Only downside was the fact that it was only a few yards from a cave.

"Well," Gladio scratched the back of his neck, "I don't suppose you're willing to make an exception?" He glanced from the entrance to Ignis, who seemed displeased to put it likely.

Shaking his head, the other walked by and inspected the area. "It will have to do," he breathed out as he did a quick walk around, deeming it safe enough for one night. "Just, no one let your guard down, no matter how peaceful it seems," he warned, looking again towards the cave warily. There were no sounds coming from it, or anywhere really, but that's what bothered him the most. The eerie quiet of the wilderness.

"So," the gunner clapped his hands together, "what's for dinner?" Without a moment's hesitation, a can was tossed to him as he barely managed to catch it. "Hey!" he blurted, offendedly.

"You asked," Gladio said with a sly grin.

'Fair enough,' he thought as he turned the can of beans around in his hand. "How am I supposed to open it?" he questioned, mostly to himself.

"Shoot it open," the shield replied, half joking, his face swiftly shifting when he caught the flash of blue out of the corner of his eyes. "Whoa! I was kidding, put that thing away before you alert everything where we are."

Dismissing his gun, Prompto put up his hands defensively, can still gripped in his left. "Alright, no need to get testy." Glancing over to the raven, he extended the arm towards him, "Hey Noct, want some?"

All it took was one glance for him to grimace in repulsion, "Really?" He sounded purely disgusted by the offer as he used both hands to push it back towards the blond. "I think I'd rather go a night without eating," he muttered, stifling a shiver that threatened to run through him.

"Suit yourself," he shrugged, finally pulling it back towards himself.

Those two now in their own little discussions, Gladio went to join Ignis in standing a few feet away, staring out into the open at nothing as the last remaining shadows stretched and warped before ultimately fading altogether. "Got something on your mind?" he questioned, shifting his weight over to one leg.

"Listen…" Ignis whispered, holding up a hand for him to stay silent. "Do you hear that?"

"Hear what?" he sounded slightly annoyed. "I don't hear a damn thing."

The brunet gave him a knowing look. "Exactly, there isn't a sound anywhere." He continued to sweep the expanse, starting to feel as though he were simply being over-paranoid as he never saw anything that looked out of place.

"Maybe everything already went to sleep?" the brute suggested, obviously not believing it himself. "Let's just lay low for the time being and keep a close eye on things. No need to blow things up before necessary." He gave the other a solid clap on the upper back before pulling out a pocket knife. "Use this," he called out to the blond and tossed it over. "And, give that back when you're done, got a couple more I need to open."

For the most part, nothing major happened, the three of them ate while Noctis watched in disgust, and they carried on with a few idle conversations. Still, there were no other noises other than those produced by the four of them. After another hour of this, Ignis paused mid-sentence, his eyes narrowing as something at last prickled at his ears.

"What's the deal, Specs?" Noctis questioned, the sudden change in demeanor catching him off guard as he followed his gaze. But, he didn't need to answer, soon enough they were all aware of the buzzing overhead that quickly intensified. "Are you serious?" he nearly growled, already summoning his blade.

"They just never give up, do they?" he shakily followed the prince's example, cutting his gaze upwards as a blackened shape blocked the stars from view.

One by one, they readied themselves, all having their respective weapons drawn as the aircraft slowed to a stop just overhead; the humming was almost deafening at this point. And, if any daemons were about, there was no doubt they knew where they were now. "Prepare yourselves," the adviser needlessly warned, taking a step back as the bay door careened open.

The four of them reluctantly blinked a few times when only one figure dropped from above… not an army.

"What, the four of you lost or something?" came the surprisingly feminine voice from the silhouette.

"A-Aranea?" Prompto asked, his tone slightly higher than normal as his nerves skyrocketed. "What are you doing out here in the middle of nowhere?" Less than gracefully, he leaned onto one leg in an attempt to not look entirely out of place. Of course, the movement only came off as forced and awkward.

She only raised an eyebrow and turned her attention back to Ignis, seeing as he was the most capable of the group. "Tell me, you fellas noticed anything off around here, or see anyone roaming around?" she cut straight to the chase, abandoning all pleasantries and never so much as a 'hi' beforehand.

"If you count the lack of activity strange, then indeed I have," he folded his own arms and looked at her pointedly. "Why? Is there something we should be concerned about?" There was an edge to his voice that seemed to dare her to hold any information should it be of importance.

Predictably, she gave them something vague, "Nothing you lot need to worry about." Without another word, she brushed by the brunet, much to his irritation, and headed straight for the cave. "If you see anyone other than myself exit, don't let them go anywhere," she commanded, treating them no differently than her underlings.

The others could practically see the brunet's brow twitch at the instructions. "Perhaps we'd be more inclined to lend a hand if we were filled in on what your business is here," he stubbornly countered, never allowing his watchful gaze to falter.

Then, she had the audacity to cut her eyes over and merely grin at him, still not giving any reply to the request. "The way I see it, you lot can either stay out here and keep an eye out for any stragglers, or you can come along and find out for yourself." With a smug expression, she waved a hand, signalling that she was done with the chit-chat, and carried on her way, quickly disappearing into the shadows.

"Well?" Prompto asked after a time.

"Well what?" came the brute's reply.

The blond looked from the cave to the others, "Are we really gonna let her go in there alone? There's no telling what's in there."

"So, you wanna play hero?" Gladio teased with a hard jab to his side. "For some reason, I get the feeling you're not her type." He smiled to himself at the flash of offence across the other's face with the comment.

"And you are?" he shot back, unable to come up with a better comeback on the spot like that.

Ignoring the playful arguing going on next to him, Ignis took a few steps after the woman. "We should follow after her," he said after a moment.

"What, you worried about her?" Noctis asked with a bit of suggestion in his voice.

"Not in the slightest," the adviser replied, flatly. "However, I'm not about to sit out here when there is the potential of danger this close." He answered way too quickly and the others knew right away this was nothing but a front to cover his true intentions.

The shield had to do what he could to hold back his quips, but couldn't stop the under-the-breath, "He just doesn't like taking orders." He flinched subtly at the green daggers that flashed his way and swiftly looked away from them. "Yeah, I kinda wanna see what's goin' on myself," he muttered to cover up his previous remark.

"What, so we're really going in?" Prompto asked, now looking suddenly timid and unsure about that plan.

"What happened to wanting to help her?" Noctis shot back.

The gunner laughed nervously to himself. "I-I guess you're right," he stuttered out. "Can't let her deal with whatever is in there alone, not on my watch." He tried to stand a little straight to avoid appearing even a little hesitant about entering. Though, the others appeared to not be phased by the thought of waltzing straight in. The moment they were in, their lights were flipped on and instantly illuminated the area.

All of them, including the prideful man, jumped subtly at the face not far away. "So, curiosity did get the better of you guys," Aranea smiled in amusement. "Either that, or the night is too scary to stay out there."

"If there is anything that poses a threat, then I intend to know about it," Ignis replied, pretending her comments were never made. "When are you going to explain things?"

"Tell ya what," she rested her lance over her shoulder, "You come along for the ride, and I promise to fill you all in along the way." It was clear she was leaving zero room for debate, and they could either take the offer, or go back out and be left to their imagination. And, it was obvious what the others wanted, but Ignis was on a mission, and that mission was to prove that he wasn't one to take orders from anyone other than His Highness.

For now though, he supposed he'd play along. "Alright, but on one condition. You tell us what it is you're searching for right here, and we'll gladly follow in your footsteps." He put on his best bureaucratically pleasant mask, "That is, if it's acceptable."

"Very well," she sighed, dropping her weapon in order to lean against it. "If you must know, a few of my men went missing around here; I haven't heard back from them in a few days. Figured I'd come searching for myself." She seemed honest enough. "Besides, you know what they say, you want something done right…"

The others could do nothing but watch on in disbelief, this was so unlike the man, to just give in like that. Not to mention dragging them farther into the depths without so much as bothering to ask if they wanted to; was he really this bent on finding out what it that was going on?

"You sure about this, Specs?" the prince stepped forward, his voice uncertain. "I mean, we have no idea what's down here."

"And that's precisely why we must venture forth," he answered instantly, authority in his tone. If there is danger, then it must be taken care of before we can allow ourselves rest."

Gladio and Prompto shared a knowing glance, the younger elbowing the other, "Suurrrrre. That makes perfect sense," he whispered, low enough to not be heard by the others. He earned himself a light chuckle from the large man as he nodded his agreement. They all knew Ignis was just too prideful to stay back.

"Lead the way," the brunet gestured forward with his right hand, signalling for her to carry on. "We'll be right behind.

Hefting her lance back up, she wasted no time in complying. "Just try not to get in my way." Of course it was too much to ask for at least one of them to bite their tongue. And, it was difficult, but Ignis had managed to do just that and swallowed his pride for the time being. At least until he got more answers anyway.

Luckily, well for the other three, there wasn't much talking. Either they were too uncomfortable to do so, or it was a light joke here and there that fell flat. For the most part, they trailed close behind Aranea as she easily made her way over the sketchy terrain, not so much as a stumble on her part. Or Ignis' for that matter, seeing as he was literally putting his best foot forward to avoid any mishaps. The others, on the other hand, weren't nearly as graceful in their travels. More than once, at least one of them had to be caught by another until he regained their balance.

"What do you know," Noctis huffed after a time, "nothing so far, guess it's deemed safe enough to head back and get some sleep." It wasn't a surprise when he was denied that luxury, but it was worth a shot.

He wasn't even sure if the strategist had heard him or not, but he definitely made no indication that he had. "If they are still in here, how far in do you suspect them to be?" he asked to the silver-haired woman. So, perhaps the prince had gone unheard after all.

"Why? Starting to get scared?" she teased, getting only a warning glare in response. "Alright, no need to be so uptight about it," she rolled her eyes. "All I know is that they could be anywhere in here. I don't plan on turning back until I find them, their bodies, or reach the end of this damned place. If you don't wish to wait it out that long, then I suggest heading back."

"Seem pretty eager to get rid of us," the adviser picked up his pace in order to walk next to her. "And, I can't help but wonder why."

She smirked as the last words passed his lips. "Quite the nosy one, aren't you? Anyone ever tell you to stay out of others' business?"

"Difficult to do when someone drops straight from the sky waving said business in my face."

"I could be asking you what you were doing in the middle of nowhere to begin with. Can't imagine coming out here for a walk," she slowed down to cock her head to the side as she stared him down. "But, I have more important things to worry about." There was something about that tone of voice that just rubbed him the wrong way.

He could only grit his teeth before he said something he'd regret, but she could tell she was getting under his skin, and that was a win in her book. Staring a hole in the back of her head, he barely paid any heed to his steps, frustration doing its job in distracting his caution. Nothing more than a startled and panicked gasp was able to make its way out as the ground beneath him more or less vanished.

Underneath all the crumbling and cacophony of deterioration, he could make out a bit of shuffling as well as other voices. A couple of them sounded worried, while one of them seemed to portray how he felt in that moment. All he knew is that he was falling, and the way it was happening was nothing less of disorienting. Next thing he was aware of was the fact that he finally stopped, but there was still a few clatters as a few more rocks tumbled around him.

For a moment, he lied there, waiting for pain to set in if it was going to. "You going to lie there all night," came that grating and condescending tone.

With a scoff, the adviser cast aside his precautions and shot upright, refusing to be shown up. And, to his growing annoyance, she was on her feet, appearing mostly unscathed aside from a few scrapes on her face and what he could see of her arms.

"Where are the others?" he asked immediately, no longer concerned with her way of speaking to him.

"Calm down, they didn't fall; they're still up there," she glanced up as if to make her point, and vaguely he could hear their voices. "If your phone works, you should probably send them a message to let them know you're alive before they shout this place into ruins."

He spared his two cents and did as she said. As much as he refused to admit it, she was right, no use in letting them run a frenzy for nothing. Soon after the message was sent, the noises ceased, and he then got a reply. "They said they're going to find another way down," he filled in, placing a hand on one of the cave walls. Slowly, he began hefting himself up, but stopped once a sharp pain shot through his left ankle and up his leg.

"Dammit," he muttered, hating the hiss he let slip.

"You hurt?" she asked, for once sparing her incredulous nature as genuine concern replaced it. And, he wasn't sure how to quite take that side of her.

Biting his lip, he pulled himself the rest of the way up and balanced himself on his good side. "It's nothing," he flatly stated, going to hobble a few steps and acted as though nothing was wrong despite the prominent limp he obtained. "I can walk it off," he added as she gazed at him with doubt bright in her eyes.

"Whatever you say," she allowed him to have his way for the time being, but she wasn't about to let his adamant nature slow her down. "As long as you can keep up, carry on as you wish." She turned around with a swish of her draping fabrics.

Narrowing his eyes, the man went to attempt and stand up straight, only to be rewarded with another agonized current and he was back at applying all his weight onto one leg.

"Stubbornness will get you nowhere," she called over her shoulder, as if she had expected this outcome this soon.

"What, you plan on carrying me?" he replied with an air of humor, which was quickly chased away by a grimace and he propped himself up against the wall before he had the chance to fall. He instinctively jolted away when Aranea unexpectedly stepped closer.

She instantly pointed towards the ground. "Sit," she more or less demanded. "Sit, and let me take a look at it." When he didn't obey right away, her old and incredulous self was back. "Look, I don't know what your deal is, but it's just the two of us, so you can drop that pompous ego of yours before I decide to leave you and get out of here."

With tightened lips, and his tongue burning with the need to retort, he swallowed it all down and slowly lowered himself to sit, carefully extending his injured limb out straight. "Make it quick," he uttered, averting his gaze as shame washed over him.

"Yeah, yeah," she waved a hand and immediately got to work in removing his shoe and sock, then surprisingly gently rolled the pants leg up. Scanning it over, she whistled lowly to herself. "You can stop with the tough guy act," she said to herself, taking in the bruising that already covered his ankle. Cautiously, she turned it in her hands, eliciting another hiss from the man. "Well, I'd say it's definitely sprained if not broken," she concluded.

"Wonderful," he ground out, intending to pull away, but she gripped at a higher point to prevent him from jerking it away.

With a pointed look, she let go with one of her hands and ripped away a shred of her own clothing. "Hand me your glasses," she reached her hand out, not asking him, but telling him.

"And, what do you intend to do with them?" He didn't really see the point in needing them, but the lack of humor in her voice compelled him to hand them over regardless. Without warning, she snapped both legs off them and dropped the main part to the ground. "What do you think you're doing?!" he blurted, shooting up right.

She spoke as she worked, "Can't exactly go around walking on that," she nodded down at it, placing the pieces on either side and started wrapping. "Don't really have medical supplies, so gotta make do with what we got." Tying it off, she patted none too gently on his leg and slowly lowered his foot down. "There we are, and once we're out, you can have that properly taken care of."

He gave his ankle one last questioning look, and against his better judgement, let himself be helped up. "We should get going," he tried to lead the way, despite the fact that he was the one currently being supported.

"For some reason, I don't think you're in the position to be calling the shots," she flatly said, thoroughly enjoying the huff that was produced thanks to it.

Aranea worriedly cut her eyes over when a light chuckle left him, when questioned, he replied simply: "I believe this at least deserves more of an explanation as to why you came all this way."

"You're still on about that?" she sounded almost amused by his tenacity on the subject. Even after all that, he was still hellbent on that info. "If you really must know, a few were sent here in order to take care of a daemon that's said to be here. But, as you know, they never came back."

The brunet's eyes widened at the news. "What?!" he shouted, borderline angrily. "You knew and yet you withheld that?"

"No one made you come along," she sternly reminded as they rounded a corner. "I recall giving the four of you plenty of opportunities to turn back. And let's not forget who it was that _had_ to follow me in."

At that, he had no response, couldn't argue facts after all. "Cat got your tongue for once?" she joked after realizing he was at a loss of what to say. "You really need to loosen up a bit…"

"What I need, is to get back to Noct and the others so we can get out of here and away from danger," he harshly corrected. "I don't wish to spend more time in here than need be."

"Yet, you've already spent too much time by coming anyway." She stumbled as he tried once again to move about on his own, earning another rough readjustment on her part. "Will you cut it out already, you're behaving like a child. Just let someone help for once before you hurt yourself more." Once he let out a gasp at the sudden movement, her expression softened. "The sooner you cooperate, the sooner we can get out, alright? So for now, let's act like we like each other."

Ignis hummed his acknowledgement. "Very well," he breathed out. "If we must to make things go smoother, then so be it." He gathered himself and for once, set all his personality aside for the sake of getting out of this mess and getting it all over with; that's not to say it wasn't easy, to hold down the comments or the need to lead. Sitting back and allowing someone else to take over wasn't really something he was accustomed to.

The going was slow, not to mention agonizing, and he was slightly relieved when they came to a stop, but at the same time, the fact that they had halted didn't bode well. As he glanced forward, there was no need to ask, it was like a slap to the face. "Way to add insult to injury," he sighed with a subtle touch of humor.

"Want to find another way, or do you think you got this?" Aranea genuinely asked, unsure of the man would be able to make a climb with his ankle the way it was. It wasn't a particularly difficult climb, but with only one good leg…

"It's not an issue," he hard-headedly promised, trying to hop forward and drag her along. "The sooner, the better." Shaking her head, Aranea trailed closely behind, not allowing him to venture too far away without at least being a couple feet behind. To say she was impressed was an understatement. For someone so properly dressed and with that formal air about him, he was doing a fairly decent job of scaling the crumbled mess. Needed help walking, but none when it came to climbing; she couldn't help but to smirk to herself at the amount of sense that made.

Reaching the top, Ignis took a moment to catch his breath, jumping once again at the clasp he felt on his shoulder. "Not bad."

"That was hardly a workout," he tried to brush off, but the way he was panting told a different story, and he fumed at the mocking raised eyebrow. He shrugged her skeptical look away and didn't argue when she again took the role of supporting him. "Thanks," he said lowly, almost quiet enough to go unnoticed.

"What was that?" she asked, a knowing tone about her. "I didn't quite catch that, care to speak up?"

Sighing heavily, he fought the urge to roll his eyes. "I said… thanks," this time it was clear, a little forced sounding, but honest enough. "For helping, I mean."

"My my, someone seems awfully flustered all of a sudden," she playfully commented. Luckily for Ignis, the lighting was low enough for his slight change in color not to be noticed. "This is the kind of attitude I could get used to. Keep this up, and I bet we'll get out of here in no time at all."

Humming aloud, he uttered a small, "I suppose so." Together, they gradually made their way down a few more twists and turns, slowly picking up speed as they went and developed a sort of walking pattern that worked best for the both of them. There were no more stumbles, but the more they walked, the more the adviser seemed to lean into the other, unaware that he was actually doing so. Aranea, however, didn't miss a single shift, but said nothing on the subject. At least he was accepting the aid, and saying something was likely to cause him to revert back to his stubborn ways.

Soon, they both picked up on muffled voices off somewhere, but they were still too far to be distinguishable, though they couldn't imagine who else they could be. This caused the brunet to try and speed up their process… without warning. "Hey!" was all the woman was able to voice before they went down, landing ungracefully in a heap as a few groans and hisses sounded out.

"What the hell was that?" she ground out, instantly jerking her head to face him, finding his expression tight and in a pained grimace. "Are you trying to break your other ankle? Because if you think I'm carrying you, you better think agai-"

"Iggy!" They both shot their gazes upward, the brunet's eyes squinting as he forced them open wide enough.

"Noct, Gladio, Prompto," he greeted one by one, unaware of the curious expressions on their faces. "What?" he questioned right before he once again realized the weight on top of him. He could practically feel her chest against his arm. And, this time, his blushing was undeniable.

In a haste, he tried to squirm out from underneath her, but with the way she was positioned, any movement he made just caused his face to heat up further. "What, never been this close to a woman?" she chuckled, finally getting up to spare him any more embarrassment.

Face now an impressive shade, the adviser hobbled up and this time seeked assistance in the nearby wall. "That was merely an uncomfortable position," he swiftly defended, reaching to adjust his glasses to be reminded of their absence. "Honestly, you try lying on rocks with another… on top… of you," he trailed off as the burning slowly crept up again. "Anyway, we should be going," he changed the subject, desperate to talk about anything else.

"Hold up," she held a hand for him. "Any of you three have any potions? Brainiac here messed up his ankle," her thumb was jabbed in his direction.

"Ignis," the adviser quietly corrected.

"Uh, yeah yeah, here," Noctis worked out as he dug around. "I try to keep at least one on me, since you know, he's a bit clumsy," he joked, cocking his head in the blond's direction.

In turn, he made a sound of protest. "Dude, not true. That was…" he began counting on his fingers, "three times." Shaking her head, either out of humor or impatience was unsure, she took the vial and handed it over to the brunet.

"Here you go, and don't say you don't need it. After half-hauling your ass, I'd say you need it." Giving her one of his famous glares, he willingly accepted, ignoring the couple of snickers he heard from the others. Without much reluctance, he gave it a solid crush and stood still as the contents worked their magic.

Once it was done, he stripped away the makeshift splint and gave his ankle a few test rotations. When he was satisfied, he placed some of his weight on it. "Better?" Aranea asked, her arms folded.

"Much," he replied truthfully. "We should get going now." He knew he was beginning to sound like a broken record at this point, but he didn't care; this place was making him more uneasy the longer he stayed. But, as he took that next step, he froze and cast a look back over at the mercenary. "And, what of your men?" he asked.

Nonchalantly, she shrugged. "Who knows, after all that commotion, if they were still around, they would have said something, or we would have heard them most likely. Same with the daemon, but there was nothing. Best I can think of is, maybe they took care of it and had a mishap on the way out. There were quite a few piles of rocks in there…" her voice faded out as she let it sink in.

"I'm sorry," her eyes jolted back up to meet his, "for your loss."

Smiling, she waved a hand, "Not like I knew them well. Just needed to know for sure if they got the job done. And, it looks like they probably did." Looking past him, she strolled up, and unexpectedly cupped his face without warning while no one was looking. Swiftly, faster than he could keep up with, she pressed her soft lips against his before slowly pulling away. "Thanks for tagging along," she whispered before brushing by.

"Wha-what was that for?" he stuttered, more confused than anything and unsure of how to react.

"I just like seeing you get all worked up," she grinned, turning away with a swish of that silver silk as she continued on without another word and without looking back. For a moment, he could do nothing but watch, still shocked. Taking a deep breath to collect himself, he looked to the others who were now waiting for him. Ignis was so relieved they hadn't seen that; he knew he'd never live it down. Though, now that he thought about it, he wasn't sure he wanted to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uhhhhhh, so I think Imma stop taking requests until I can cut this list down a tad. XD Sorry, but it got pretty long, so just need some time to get a few done before opening it back up to new ones. But, if you have questions or anything, you can reach me on Tumblr as well.
> 
> Queue as of now:
> 
> ellaygee  
Hollypopstop  
Kloudia1  
laurelilith  
Kestrealbird  
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mabver321  
MasterThiefWolf  
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the lazy one  
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'Anonymous4'  
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FredrikssonT  
MsChievous  
NicoleBL


	23. Bump in the Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While Noctis is off taking care of a few things, he asks Prompto if he wants to spend some time at his apartment while he's away. But, it doesn't take long before strange occurrences start to happen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta read by: Sinikka_von_Wolperting
> 
> Request for: ellaygee

Prompto strolled on down the street, his steps a little more eager than what he assumed would be considered normal, especially in the evening like this. He did get a few sideways glances, but he shrugged them off; opinions didn’t bother him as much as they used to. Well, they did, but no where near the extent as years ago. Eventually, he slowed to a stop outside the apartment complex and gazed upon it. Well, it definitely looked elegant enough for a prince, and just standing outside he already felt out of place near such a grand structure.

Humming to himself, he took a look at his phone to check the time; he was about a minute late, but he assumed it wasn’t that big of a deal. 60 seconds never hurt anyone...not that he was aware of anyway. Taking a deep and calming breath, he tucked the device away and reluctantly made his way towards the entrance and gave the door a slow and steady push. Gradually it careened open, which resulted in a few curious flickers, but none of them remained locked onto him. Why did he feel almost as if he were intruding? A quick scan of his clothing answered that question for him.

Without meeting any of the faces, he shuffled his way straight to the elevator. Normally, he’d be coming here with Noctis after school, but it was a Saturday, so here he was...on his own. Stepping through, he kept his posture as upright as possible, at least trying to appear like he belonged here at least a little bit more; but, as soon as those doors closed, he allowed all the tension to drain from him.

“Come on, Prompto,” he sighed to himself, “why are you like this?”

Vigilantly, he watched the numbers tick on until it finally reached the right floor, which he wasted no time in slinking out the moment the doors were opened wide enough and made a beeline for the right door. It only took a few knocks before the door swung open and he was greeted with a rather frazzled looking Noctis?

“What took so long?” the raven asked, never bothering to greet the blond. “I don’t have a lot of time to explain, but I take you remember where everything is.”

Prompto gave a curt nod, “Yeah.” He offered a small smile, slightly confused. He had been invited over to stay while Noctis took care of a few things, but he never explained what those few things were; he only said that he’d be gone for most of the night. “Where are you going?” he went to ask as Noctis buzzed by him towards the door.

“I’ll fill ya in later,” he threw over his shoulder before he was gone, door clicking shut behind him.

“Nice talk,” Prompto sighed, but he understood, the guy was in a hurry. Pursing his lips, he took a look around, noticing how clean everything looked: Ignis must have been by recently. He stifled a small chuckle at that though. Of course, Noctis couldn’t keep a place this tidy if his life depended on it. Not that he could talk. After a couple minutes of strolling around and looking at things and running his hand over them, he mindlessly drifted closer to the living room, more towards the couch to be specific. With a quiet grunt, he dropped himself onto the cushion with an exhale of content. It was more comfortable than the one at his place, that was for sure. The lack of anything happening made it all the easier to spot the game console Noctis had mentioned, the newest one he had his eye on since the moment it was announced.

The corner of his mouth curling subtly, he stepped over; he was told to try it out after all. “Let’s see what ya got,” he uttered to himself as he grabbed the controller and switched it on. He decided he’d just try out whatever was already in there. Despite them being friends, he still didn’t feel that comfortable messing with things all that much.

Not taking his eyes away, he back tracked to his seat where he placed himself on the edge of it, leaning forward a few inches. It wasn’t long after that until he was already sucked in; everything just appeared so much better and crisper than he had imagined. And, it was settled, he’d just have to save up to get one for himself.

As he was being sucked into this gorgeous fantasy world, he was vaguely aware of a creak off to the side somewhere, but with how quiet it was, he chalked it up to his imagination. The sound never brought his attention away. But, when it was a tad louder and seemed to be just a few feet away, he couldn’t stop himself from whipping his head around to take a look. ...Nothing, it was empty, though he wasn’t sure what he was expecting.

Staring for a couple more seconds, he carefully turned back away and resumed his playing, shaking his head slowly. “Always hate that,” he murmured, the face that all places creaked still not doing much for him.

A few more minutes went by, and nothing else occurred, not that he was complaining. Being alone already made him uncomfortable enough as it were, add odd sounds to the mix and it transformed into a huge ‘nope’ for him. But, he’d deal with a few creaks here and there. Just as he was falling back into things, and calmed down, he jolted at the sound of a heavy ‘thump’ coming from the another room. Instinctively, he paused his game and stared off anxiously down the hall. His eyes darted as if he’d see something pop out of nowhere.

“Hello?” he called out. He didn’t think anyone was here, but he guessed it was possible. Noctis never said there wasn’t, so maybe. Not getting a reply, he unpaused, but his heart was still beating a smidge faster than normal. There was no reply, of course there was no reply; he felt ridiculous for expecting one.

This time, there was no going back to the game, his mind was running too many circles to want to continue any further. Carefully, he placed the controller aside and got to his feet. One step at a time, he made his way towards the hallway, his gaze glued to the end of it. On his way down, he peered into each room, only giving them a small glance before moving on. “It’s just a couple noises,” he silently told himself, trying to find humor in his overreactions. By the time he reached the end, he’d already checked all the doors on either side, and all that was left was the single closed door; Noctis’ room. Why wouldn’t be?

Taking a deep breath, he gradually pushed it open, wincing at the slight whine it gave out. With it only a crack of the way open, he looked through and scanned over what he could see, which wasn’t much. But, from what he could tell, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Continuing to tell himself it was nothing, he pushed it open the rest of the way, observing the entirety of the room from where he stood...at a safe distance.

Still, it seemed safe enough, then his gaze swiftly found the source of the thump, and he let out a long and relieved sigh. “Really?” he uttered, taking the two steps required to reach the frame propped up on the wall. A simple glance up, and he could see the mount it had been on. Still odd that it fell, but in a way, it didn’t seem as bad as it could have been. Chewing on his lip nervously, he hefted the large painting up and eased it back onto the wall.

Prompto took a step back to take a look over it; he’d never really taken the time to look at this one before, but it was one of a woman. A beautiful at that. Though, he felt a little odd when he couldn’t help but see a little bit of Noctis in it. He narrowed his eyes at the dark blue eyes and the similarly raven hair. Though, it was a bit darker, but faded as his eyes trailed down. The blond took a few more steps back to look over it as a whole, and he tightened his lips into a line as he took it in.

There was no doubt in his mind, this had to have been Noctis’ mom. He never exactly mentioned her, so he had nothing to go on, but the resemblance was more than a little coincidental. Humming to himself, he gazed upon it for a few more seconds before turning on his heel, his heart nearly exploding as he abruptly froze in place.

“W-who’s there?” he stammered, certain he saw someone zip by the door. He couldn’t make out who or what, but he _knew _there was something. Breath coming out in quickened and short pants, he grabbed hold of the first object he saw, which happened to be vase off the dresser. Gripping it securely in both hands, he inched towards the still open door and leaned out as far as he dared to glance in both directions. “Hello?” he called out again, his voice showing obvious signs of his escalating fear.

‘BAM!’ Prompto jumped at the unexpected slamming of one of the doors, and he didn’t think; his first reaction was to duck back into the room and close the door behind him. And, for some reason, he thought locking it as well, because everyone knows ghosts can’t get through locked doors. His back was pressed against it as he took a few moments to catch his breath and convince himself that everything was alright. It was all probably his imagination. He didn’t come over here often, and when he did, he was never alone. Most likely it was his body freaking out of the lack of familiarity. It made perfect sense to him. But, that did little to appease his nerves.

Again, there was another thump, this time he was certain it came from the living room, not that he was going to take a chance and check it out. He highly doubted he’d even want to leave this room in the next hour or so. As much as it bugged him to think this way, he found himself silently praying that Noctis would hurry the hell up with whatever it was he was doing.

About thirty minutes went by, and nothing else happened; it was like nothing ever happened to begin with. In fact, things seemed eerily still and quiet. Which, in a way was almost worse than all the strange sounds going on. By this time, he was seated on the floor, back still firmly set against the door, and he wondered if it was safe to exit yet. ‘Maybe a few more minutes,’ he thought to himself, going to reach for his phone. Only to grasp at nothing.

He swore under his breath. It was still in the living room, on the table. Not that far, but that required him to head back down that hallway, and that was something he wasn’t quite willing to do just yet. After a while, his gaze unconsciously drifted back to the portrait, and he merely stared at it for a time. Until his attention was interrupted by another bang. His back arched away from the door from the startlement, and he was on his feet in an instant.

Prompto had never jumped away from a spot so quickly in his life, his breath caught in his chest. Not a single puff of air was released as his heart thumped against his ribs at an almost painful rate. Ok, he couldn’t think of anything that would explain that; that was not normal by any means.

Then, there was another, followed by a third. No matter how many there were, they never failed to cause a jolt to run through him. Every noise resulted in him taking another step back and away from the source. The knocks got louder with less time between, as did his pulses. For a few seconds, just the thought of putting some real distance between the two of them seemed out of the question. But, like a switch, he snapped out of his reverie and darted for the first hidden area his eyes could spot.

Shuffling in, he weaseled his way into the closet, shoving the hanging clothes out of his way in the process, not caring that he knocked quite a few articles off the hangers. There, he backed into the corner and slowly slid to the floor where he drew his legs up and silently prayed for it all to stop. They didn’t, they kept up their persistent bangs.

If it weren’t for how utterly terrified he was at the moment, he would probably feel a bit ridiculous, like a cowardly child almost. Whoever heard of a nearly grown man hiding in a closet from something he couldn’t even see? The whole idea was laughable, but he couldn’t bring himself to find the humor in it. Maybe at a later day he could.

So lost in his dazed mind, he was vaguely aware that it felt silent again. But he learned from his earlier mistake, and remained where he was. No way he was about to make the same mistake twice. In fact, he was perfectly comfortable where he was and wait here for Noctis to get back. No matter how long that would take, he was willing to wait it out in utter silence. Though, the darkness in such a small area didn’t help in the slightest. The very confines of a place he considered safe upon first looks were starting to feel more like a prison.

His chest felt tight, but not in the same manner as just his fear of whatever was out there closing in on him. This felt more internalized, like something he couldn’t merely hide from or block out. Over time, his legs drew in closer as he made himself into the tightest ball possible. He really wished Noctis would hurry the hell up already. Either that or that he’d build up the courage to walk out of here himself, but that was far too damn hard.

He felt cold, a couple small shivers ran through him, ones that escalated as his ears picked up on the faint sound of footsteps down the hall. They were slow, almost hesitant. Prompto wanted to call out, but stopped himself on the off chance that it was someone - something - else. The door handle rattled a few times, the turning getting a little more desperate as time went on...then there was the click as it opened.

The blond couldn’t move, his eyes never leaving a spot on the floor. He wanted to though, wanted to take a peek at what was going on. Holding his breath, he closed his eyes tight and tried his best not to make a sound. With another unexpected sound, he found himself as far into the corner as he could get as light blinded him, and there was no preventing the slight gasp that escaped. To him, it sounded unbecoming of him, not that he cared at the moment.

“What are you doing in here?” Prompto cracked an eye open at the voice; the sight of Noctis didn’t calm him as much as he had hoped it would. “Hey, are you alright?” the raven asked, voice going from light to serious in a snap.

The blond nodded slowly, glancing around frantically. “Y-yeah,” he stuttered, followed by a thick anxious swallow.

“Then why are you in there?” he questioned, eyebrow raised.

He took a shuddering breath to steady himself, heart perpetually thrumming, causing him to feel slightly nauseous. “Noct...I-I think…” he trailed off, his mouth feeling unusually dry. Quickly, his eyes locked onto the painting.

Slowly, the prince followed his gaze, and a sigh left him. A sad and heavy one as he carefully shook his head before looking back. “Come on, it’s fine,” he assured, hand held out in a friendly manner.

He seemed reluctant, and rightly so, but he accepted the gesture and shakily got up to his feet. His blues never tore away from the picture. “I-Is that your mom?” he asked, wanting desperately to distract himself from all this.

“Yeah,” Noctis whispered, his tone weighed down by the obscure memory he still had of her. “It’s the only painting of her, but my dad insisted that I take it. Says some nonsense about her watching over me. I don’t know how much I believe in all that, but can’t say I don’t feel comfortable having it around.” His voice grew quiet and he turned back to face Prompto. “Did something happen?” He narrowed his eyes expectantly.

For about ten seconds, the other debated if he should tell the truth or not, wondered if he would be believed. He would have too, but something in that gaze seemed to plead him for the answer he wanted to hear. “Kinda…” he muttered, scrutiny dropping to the floor in his sudden bashfulness at having been put on the spot. “Not a lot though, I may have overreacted a bit,” his hand wandered to the back of his neck to scratch in shame. “I heard a few noises though,” he breathed out.

“So, it’s not just me then,” Noctis smiled, relieved. “Been hearing them as well; Ignis swears it’s nothing, or I’m just stressed, or some other bullshit. But, I know...I know it’s not my imagination.”

Prompto perked up at that news. “You mean like knocks and doors slamming?” his voice still wavered a small amount, but there was a tad more force behind it. The raven hummed his confirmation before suddenly clapping his hands together. “Maybe we should go out somewhere,” he suggested after a moment, feeling slightly guilty for never having warned his friend about the happenings of this place. “On me,” he added when he saw the other think about it.

“Well, I can’t deny free food,” he shrugged, trying to act more casual. He stood there until Noctis exited and followed close behind. On the way out, he cast a few nervous glances back to those unblinking eyes, and his heart ached a small amount. This time, however, it wasn’t due to his fear.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uhhhhhh, so I think Imma stop taking requests until I can cut this list down a tad. XD Sorry, but it got pretty long, so just need some time to get a few done before opening it back up to new ones. But, if you have questions or anything, you can reach me on Tumblr as well.
> 
> Queue as of now:
> 
> Hollypopstop  
Kloudia1  
laurelilith  
Kestrealbird  
Snow  
mabver321  
MasterThiefWolf  
Tabbys_desire  
the lazy one  
Crystal  
Ann  
'Anonymous4'  
Robin  
Luna the Wolf Mage  
FredrikssonT  
MsChievous  
NicoleBL


	24. Top Story

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While finally getting a break from all the running around, the guys spend a bit of time in Lestallum. But, while seeing around, Noctis gets hit with a bit of reality.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta read by: Sinikka_von_Wolperting
> 
> Request for: Hollypopstop

Noctis inhaled deeply, doing what he could to enjoy some of the spare time he had; which was no easy feat when the recent events were taken into account. Things still felt more than a little surreal to him, and deep down he still wondered - hoped - it was all some fucked up dream. But, he’d never be quite so lucky as for that to be reality. It took him a few seconds more to realize there was someone talking next to him; then he remembered where he was and who he was with. He glanced out of the corner of his eyes as Prompto talked on, and he was suddenly aware of the fact that he headn’t heard a word of it.

“-and, the shots you can get there, dude, it’s freaking amazing. Also...Noct? Are you listening?” the blond questioned, stopping in his tracks with a concerned and equally quizzical expression on his features.

The prince perked up a bit and his eyes darted around suspiciously. “Uhhh, yeah, yeah, I am. Totally,” he awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck, knowing full well he was about as convincing as a chicken posing as a chocobo. “Well, I heard part of it,” he shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant.

“Suuuuuure,” the other rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. Taking a deep breath of his own, he changed the subject, “So, anywhere in particular you wanna check out. We’ll be here for at least a couple days. May as well make the most out of it.”

The raven hummed in thought. If he were being honest, he really would much rather head back to the hotel and just hide away for a week. But, if for the others’ sake if nothing else, he’d at least put forth the effort to attempt to have a nice time. Not to mention, Prompto had seemed pretty keen on taking a break here anyway. “I guess we can just look around. Ya’know, see the sights.”

That seemed to be good enough for the gunner; neither of them had really been to Lestallum enough to know where things were, so there wasn’t exactly any preference on either end. Walk around and see if anything caught their eye.

The other gave him a satisfied smirk. “Stereotypical tourists it is then,” he said with more enthusiasm than was probably necessary. “See anything you wanna stop by at take a look at, speak up,” he called behind him as he took a few skips ahead to take the lead. He usually wasn’t the leading type, but with the way Noctis was behaving on the reserved side lately, he didn’t mind too much.

This new plan in mind, the wandered aimlessly, having no direction or destination in mind; it was like a mini adventure, but one where there was no risk of death. Just the way they’d rather it be. Too many ‘exciting’ things had been happening lately for their liking. Along the way, they stopped a few times, all of which were of the blond’s own accord. And, most of those were to take a look at overpriced trinkets he most definitely did not need. He tried to show a few things to the prince, doing what he could to get more than a hum or a nod out of him, which was way more difficult than it should have been.

Sighing after holding the fifth nik-nak before the raven, he replaced it with defeat in his eyes; it was no use, he clearly wasn’t enjoying this. Which, was no surprise, he normally didn’t find these types of things enjoyable, but this was just borderline depressing. “We can go back if you want,” he offered, keeping his tone on the uplifting side. “It’s not a big deal, this place isn’t going anywhere.”

“It’s fine, really,” Noctis held his hands up in protest, hating to be the reason for their trip to be ruined. “Look, I’m sure after a bit more, it might help get my mind off things,” he offered a small smile and waved his hands to usher the other to continue on.

Prompto gauged the other’s features for a bit, then gave a curt nod. “Okie doke, if you really wanna keep going, then on we shall go.” He went to spin around and take another step when Noctis’ ‘wait’ pulled him right back in. “Hm?” he asked, turning on the spot.

The prince said nothing, just stared off at one of the stands. Without uttering a word, he drifted towards it, his eyes wide with what could only be assumed to be shock. His feet stumbled slightly as he tripped over a small bump in the street, but it didn’t cause his pursuit to falter. Letting out a shuddering breath, his gaze locked onto the front of a magazine, his stare unwavering.

“Dude, what is it?” Prompto asked, bounding to stand next to him. “Noc-” he followed his glare, and his eyes mirrored his friends and his stomach dropped. His bright blues scanned over the headline: “Insomnia Falls: Prince Noctis Abandons this Time of Need.”

“What the hell is this?” he whispered, barely able to raise his voice anymore than that. His right hand reached for it and he plucked it off the stand and instantly began to flit through the pages, his face swiftly shifting from shock and confusion to anger and frustration. “What is this shit?” he spat as he took it all in. It was nothing but a bunch of nonsense, bull about how he fled to leave his people to die; how he ran away like a damn coward.

“Excuse me,” the man behind the stand raised a finger, sounding as though he had already ran out of patience, “if you plan on reading that, I ask that you pay for it.” His tone dripped with incredulousness. But, his demeanor hitched when twilight daggers were shot in his direction.

Never taking his eyes off the man, and with a shadow of a snarl on his face, Noctis fished out some money and tossed it on the counter. He didn’t care if it was the right amount or not. But the moment he heard the coins hit the table, he turned his back on him and began to storm off, magazine held tightly in his grasp; the slick surface crinkled aggressively under his fingers.

“Noct?” Prompto called out timidly after having remained silent through that whole spectacle. Seeing as he wasn’t going to pay him any mind, the blond then faced the merchant. “Uh, sorry about that, he’s...had a bit of a rough week,” he quickly apologized with a short bow before taking off after the prince. “Noct!” he called out again, this time louder.

“What?” he asked through his teeth, only slowing down enough for the blond to catch up.

He hesitated, not sure how to handle this situation, he wasn’t used to seeing him like this and was never good at dealing with things when emotions were running high. “Hey, don’t worry about that,” he said lowly, nodding to the paper.

“I’m not worried about it,” he replied, not sounding convincing in the slightest; in fact, it seemed as though it was the only thing he was concerned with.

“It’s nothing but exaggeration-”

“Exaggerations?” Noctis bit. “This isn’t an ‘exaggeration’, Prom, it’s a flat out lie! Do people honestly think I left everyone just to save my own ass?!” The gunner flinched at the abrupt aggression in his tone and involuntarily took a step back. And, as lost in his rage as he was, Noctis was unaware of his raging temper.

Swallowing nervously, he stood up straighter, “You know how these things are...they’ll write anything for sales…” he tried, fairly certain it didn’t matter what he said at this point.

“Yeah, even this,” he waved the article in front of the other’s face and snatched it back to his side. “They don’t know a damn thing that’s going one, of what happened. They have no right to spew a pile of garbage on something they don’t understand!”

Prompto had nothing to say to that; he wasn’t wrong, but at the same time, he wondered if he was maybe overreacting a bit. Then again, if he was in that same situation, he couldn’t say how he’d react, so who was he to judge. “Let’s just go back to the hotel,” he uttered, eyes flitting around to the people around them, realizing for the first time just how many glares were resting on them. Many of which had a glint of morbid curiosity. “We can talk about it there,” he said, but left out the part about hoping Ignis could handle this situation a lot better than he could.

“Whatever,” Noctis fumed, falling back into his sauntering movement, blind to the show he had just put on, but maybe that was for the best. No telling how he’d react to knowing the amused and bewildered looks he was receiving

The rest of the way, the prince was the one taking the lead, his tunnel vision leading him straight to the hotel without a single detour or wrong turn along the way. Prompto made sure to stay at a safe distance...but, close enough to not appear as though he was trying to put a lot of space between them. From the back, he could practically see the wafts of rage radiating from his form; either that, or he was imagining it.

As they reached their building, there was no hesitation as Noctis unlocked the door, after fumbling with it for a good thirty seconds, and shoved the door open. The two still occupying the room jumped at the sudden noise, ambers and emeralds snapping to the source of the disturbance. One held an air of annoyance, while the other contained inquiry.

“Where’s the fire?” Gladio snorted, but the humor was depleted in his statement as he watched the young prince with an observant gaze. He didn’t answer, he merely bit his lip to stop himself from snapping at the shield. He did, however, toss the magazine over as though it were a frisbee and headed straight to the bathroom. Once in, he slammed it shut and locked it, honestly wanting to be alone for a bit.

Now just plain confused, the brute looked from the door to the article in his lap, and with reluctance, lifted it to scan over it and his mouth tightened. “Oh,” he breathed out, having no witty remarks anymore. Without the other needing to ask, he handed it over to the adviser, knowing he’d want to take a look for himself. “I guess this explains the fire,” he breathed out, tone seeming to be a tad regretful now, but not completely.

Ignis’ face mirrored that of Gladio’s: mouth tightened and eyes narrowed. Only, he didn’t stop at the headline; he proceeded to flip it open until he spotted the featured article and read through it thoroughly. Once done, he let out a heavy sigh and shook his head. “I’m honestly not surprised. I’d be more shocked if they didn’t do this,” he said matter-of-factly, not sounding overly upset about this finding.

“So?” Prompto asked, glancing to the paper. “What are we going to do about it, we can’t just leave it like that...it’s false.”

“Nothing we can do,” the adviser informed, not exactly sounding thrilled about it himself, but he was being honest. “These things happen all the time, and making a big deal about it will only make it worse.” Glancing over to the restroom, he lowered his voice, “Best thing we can do is ignore it and wait for it to die out.” He tossed it onto a nearby table and went back to the book he was reading, acting as though nothing had happened.

The blond shifted on his feet. “That’s it? We just leave it and let people believe that this is the truth?

“Precisely,” the brunet responded without looking up. Prompto looked ready to complain about this decision again, but Gladio got to his feet to pat him on the shoulder as he stepped by.

“Hate to say it, but he’s right; it’s best to just leave it.” His hand slid off and he continued his trek to the kitchen, leaving a confused and equally conflicted gunner in his wake. He glanced from one to the other with a lost expression, but he didn’t push it further; decided they must have their reasoning for saying what they did, even if he didn’t quite understand it.

Giving the bathroom door one more look, his shoulders sagged and he made his way to the bed where he plopped down and retrieved his phone. Scrolling and browsing, he wasn’t particularly paying anything any attention, but it was better than just sitting there with nothing to do.

Three pairs of eyes shifted to the bathroom and away just as quickly once it opened after a few more minutes; though, it felt like a lot more time than that had passed. Not a single one so much as glanced in his direction, they all kept up whatever it was they were doing. Hopefully, if they didn’t make a big deal about it, then neither would he. Out he trudged, feeling more on the irritated side at the fact that everyone was so calm about this; how could they act like this was alright? Fine with the fact that his image was being deteriorated before the entire realm.

Hands balled into fists, he went to snatch the magazine up, preparing himself for round two of his ranting. “Does no one really care about this?” he asked, waving it in the air.

“Of course,” Ignis replied, “but I don’t see the need to escalate this more than it needs to be. I do hope you know just how many ‘news articles’ there are similar to this one,” he raised an eyebrow, an appearance of skepticism on his face. “Trust me, just let it be, and the flames will extinguish themselves.”

“Or they get fed and burn everything,” Noctis shot back. “If people actually believe these things, then what does that make me look like.”

“A coward,” the brunet answered straightforwardly. “Exactly like a coward. But, that does not matter; how people view you, and what you do, do not coincide with one another. You do not require to be looked highly upon to do what it is you need to do. So long as you stay on the right path and fulfill your duty as the new king, then it does not matter what any of those articles say.” He let out a deep breath once he was done, his eyes finally pulled away from his reading in order to stare the raven down.

For a moment, Noctis had nothing to say; he couldn’t argue with that, or at least not in a logical manner. He could always try to counter what was said, but everything he came up with fell short. All he could do was grip the paper and roll his eyes in irritation. “Mmm hmm,” he hummed unceremoniously tossing the object onto the closest bed, trying not to cast a single glance in its direction. He was done with it, not internally, but externally; he didn’t want to even look at it anymore. And, he honestly wished that he’d never even seen the damn thing. Maybe it would have been better if he remained ignorant to it all.

Letting out a huff, he dropped down to sit next to Prompto, who continued to scroll through his phone and fought the urge to avert his attention away from it. However, he could feel Noctis’ focus on him, and he felt obliged to finally give in to the temptation and give the other the light of day. “Got something on your mind?” he asked, instantly slapping himself for such a stupid question.

“No,” he lied, clearly bitter, “just trying to think of something to do.” ‘Something to distract me,’ he thought. “If you’re still up for looking around, then I wouldn’t complain,” he muttered, still not sounding like he was really up for it.

“Uh, yeah, I’m fine with that,” the blond went along, knowing there was no denying what the other wanted, not when it came to this stuff, or when he was in this mood. It just made things easier, and he also just needed something to occupy their minds. “I’m ready when you are,” he said, getting up and putting the device away.

Blowing out a long stream of air, Noctis stood as well, making sure to smack the magazine away in the process. “Ready as I’ll ever be,” he mumbled under his breath, arms folded and body stiff with his discomfort. “Let’s go before I change my mind,” he waved his hand, stepping up to take the lead.

As they exited, the others watched them go, neither of them stopping them or saying a word; it was for the best. Noctis needed to try and get a bit of normalcy in his life while he still could. The moment they left, it’d be back into the stress and burdened lifestyle they had been thrust into.

Closing the door behind them, Prompto paused just outside, basically forcing the other to cease his movement as well and turn to him in question. “You forget something?” he asked, nodding towards their room.

The blond slowly shook his head. “No, I’m good. But, maybe we should go to a different part in town,” he suggested. “You know, that outburst you had, it kinda got a lot of attention on us, and I doubt they’ve forgotten what we looked like,” he smiled light-heartedly. Obvious this was just an excuse, and they both knew he didn’t want to go back on the off chance that they’d see another headline that hit too hard.

Despite knowing this, Noctis couldn’t help but appreciate it, and decided to play along. “Oh, was it that bad?” he chuckled lightly, sounding forced. “My bad; yeah, we can check out the other side of town.” With mutual agreement, and a silent moment of understanding, they headed off. Unlike earlier, their going was a little easier, both of them even sparing a joke here and there. They weren’t as natural as usual, but it was a start, and that was good enough for now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uhhhhhh, so I think Imma stop taking requests until I can cut this list down a tad. XD Sorry, but it got pretty long, so just need some time to get a few done before opening it back up to new ones. But, if you have questions or anything, you can reach me on Tumblr as well.
> 
> Queue as of now:
> 
> Kloudia1  
laurelilith  
Kestrealbird  
Snow  
mabver321  
MasterThiefWolf  
Tabbys_desire  
the lazy one  
Crystal  
Ann  
'Anonymous4'  
Robin  
Luna the Wolf Mage  
FredrikssonT  
MsChievous  
NicoleBL


	25. Stalker of the Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Prompto notices something is missing, he rushes out into the middle of a storm to retrieve it, but he gets more than he bargained for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta read by: Sinikka_von_Wolperting
> 
> Request for: Kestrealbird

“Finally, a soft bed, a warm shower, no threat of being attacked in our sleep,” Noctis drawled on, stretching himself out over one of the decently sized beds. A light and satisfied groan escaped his pleased form as his arms reached over his head. He may have been chalking this up as more luxurious as it was, but after days of basically sleeping on the ground, this was pure and unadulterated heaven as far as he was concerned.

The shield rolled his eyes at the prince’s show, snorting to himself as one after another, his shoes came off and fell clumsily to the floor. All it took, however, was a swift and irritated glance from the adviser for him to grumble incoherently, and scoot them out of the way. Under the bed was good enough for now.

“Can’t wait to finally get clean,” the blond sighed in contentment, his eyes closed in a daydream-like state. A suppressed shudder ran through him when he dropped back down to reality and could smell the scent of blood and grime coating his clothing. “First, gotta do something about these,” he said tightly, voice low form him trying not to breathe in.

“I’m afraid there isn’t much to help with that,” Gladio teased, plopping down in one of the chairs, a pleased moan of his own sounding out as he relaxed into it.

Folding his arms, the blond scanned him up and down. “Like you’re one to talk,” he muttered, eyes darting from one dirt stain to another. “Have you seen yourself? We may as well take you out back and hose you down.” That at least earned him an amused grin out of the brute. Turning back, he crouched down to dig through his bag, a small swear slipping out as he slowly realized.

“Lose something?” the prince asked, hearing the flustered word. His voice was slightly slurred from him fighting sleep, but it could be made out well enough. The raven was answered with a few items smacking him in the head, causing him to jolt upright and cast a less than joyous look over to his friends. “Hey!” he called out in offense, hand rubbing at the sore area.

Mumbling to himself, Prompto barely even noticed the other’s annoyed expression. “Where the hell is it?” he almost begged to himself, growing frenzied with each passing second.

“Where’s what?” Gladio questioned, but remained where he was and in the exact same position. He did fall into watching the spectacle before him though with slightly concerned curiosity.

Again, Prompto didn’t answer right away, instead he spent a few more seconds rummaging through his belongings in a near panic. “My camera,” he finally uttered after about a minute, voice hollow as he accepted that it just wasn’t there; it was gone. “I was sure I- I know I brought it with me. I couldn’t have left it…” he trailed off as he replayed the day in his head, going through the events carefully and thoroughly. “I think I might know where it is,” he deadpanned when it finally dawned on him. Then a chill ran through him as the first ‘pitters’ of droplets hit the far window, and he was on his feet in an instant. “I’ll be back soon,” he blurted out, taking off towards the door.

“Wait-” Ignis reached out to grasp his upper arm, stopping him in his tracks. “Where are you going?” he questioned in a protective tone, something they all should have been used to by now.

“I know where I left it,” he repeated, his breathing evening out a bit. “Noct and I, when we were out earlier…” he trailed off again as the rain picked up and it was no longer light sprinkling. Wildness resurfaced in his gaze and he pulled away from the brunet. “But, I have to go now before it gets messed up.”

This time, Ignis let him slip away, shaking his head as he turned to the others. He never got his question out before he heard the door slamming behind him. “One of you mind going with him?” he asked, hinting more than asking. “I’d go myself, but I doubt it would be a wise idea on my part to allow either of you two to prepare dinner.

A small scoff could be heard from the bed. “It’s not that far, Iggy, it’ll be fine,” he waved a dismissive hand, honestly too comfortable to be bother to move from the spot. It was only a few blocks away after all. Yawning, he buried his face deeper into his pillow, finding peace in the rhythmic taps along the side of their window and walls.

The adviser merely shook his head, “Do as you will.” He went to turn back around, but a quick jolt ran through him at the unexpected ‘crash’ that echoed around them, a slight vibration ran through his feet as the lights flickered.

“Well, it was peaceful,” Noctis complained at the arrival of their first bout of thunder. “I guess a good night’s sleep was too much to ask for after all.”

From his seat, his shield glared over at the over-dramatic heir, but it went unnoticed, much to his chagrin. It wasn’t until the third minor tremble that the lights flashed again, this time staying out for a good few seconds before humming back to life. “If this keeps up, it’ll basically be like camping another night,” he joked, but the others didn’t find the humor in that remark. And, as the thunder rolled again, a sudden thought struck him.

“How long as Prom been gone?”

The single question smacked the both of them like a truck. It really hadn’t been long enough for him to get what he needed and come back, but with the weather escalating as quickly as it was, it was more than a tad concerning.

“It’s only been about five minutes,” Noctis reminded, a slight nervousness underlining his words. “It should take longer than that, don’t ya think?”

“He should have come back the moment there was thunder,” the brute pointed out. He trusted the kid, he really did, but from what he was hearing going on, this was going to be a pretty impressive storm; not catastrophic, but worse than he cared for. “We should probably go after him,” he suggested, not waiting for the others.

Normally, the raven would have been less keen on following suit, but the seriousness in the shields voice set his nerves on end, and his heart filled with fear. “Coming,” he uttered, no longer lounging around and on his feet within a fraction of a second. “We’ll be back shortly,” he assured Ignis, almost as if on autopilot and snatched his jacket off the table.

“Please, do be careful,” he replied under his breath, his brow set in a firm scowl. He cut his sharp gaze back to the window, only to see another flash and the lights dim out once again.

The moment he was out the door, the rain nearly drenched him and the wind bit as it struck him square in the face. It wasn’t cold or strong by any means, just didn’t see it coming. Pulling his vest further around himself, not that it did any good, he took off at a jog towards where he was positive he left it. Though, as he felt the pouring rain intensify, he highly doubted it’d be able to withstand these types of conditions, and his heart sunk with that thought.

“It’s been through worse,” he assured himself, which wasn’t a lie; it had survived through their entire trip so far...including rain. There was no way it could be done in by a measly storm such as this one; it was child’s play compared to some of the other’s they’d been through.

His pace increased with those thoughts, splatters of moisture flying up as his steps disturbed the accumulating water. It only took a few minutes until he was close, and by then, a loud crash stopped him in his tracks and the street lights blinked out for a fraction of a moment. His heart fluttered with the surprise of it, skipping a beat by the pitch darkness for that millisecond. Shaking his head, he pushed on. There was no reason to get anxious over a little bit of thunder and lightning; only children worried about things like that.

Prompto swallowed the lump in his throat and rounded another corner, just as another boom echoed off the sides of buildings and shook his bones. Again, his muscles tensed and his teeth clenched. It wasn’t like him to get like this over a bit of bad weather...then again, it wasn’t like him to be running the streets in the middle of the night and alone on top of that.

Thinking about it now, it did seem a bit ridiculous to be doing this, to be charging out over some physical possession, but to him, it was different. He needed it. Trying to block the chorus of violence out, he trudged on, almost forcing himself to move forward now. Speed now dwindling a good amount, he eventually made it to where he was going, and instantly, he glanced around. Searching desperately to catch sight of the device.

And, there it was, still sitting on the table where he had overlooked it. Still, it bothered him to no end how he could have even done such a thing. To be fair, they were in a rush at the time, and had a lot of errands to run as well, so it made sense. But, it didn’t excuse it in his mind. Sighing out a breath of relief, he jogged the last few yards over to it and collected it, swearing under his breath at the amount of water soaking it. Now wasn’t the time, but as soon as he got back, he was doing a full inspection of it to make sure everything was in working over.

Satisfied, he smiled to himself; if nothing else, as long as the SD card was unscathed, then the camera could be replaced, memories on the other hand… Prompto draped the strap over his neck and spun on his heel, and his heart dropped. Another crash, another swift flash of light that blinded him and lit the area in radiance. As quickly as it came, it was gone, taking all other light with it.

The blond let out a shaky breath and looked around, unable to make out a single thing. It was pitch dark, not a spec of light to be seen in any direction. For a brief moment, the direction in which he came from had slipped his mind. Where was he supposed to go? He could only stand there, and wait. Wait and hope for another bolt to guide the way. It took a bit longer than he expected, but eventually his prayers were answered and another strike of lightning illuminated his path just long enough for him to get his bearings.

“Alright, that way,” he whispered to himself, taking a few tentative steps, shuffling his feet in fear of running into something or tripping over something. Slow and steady. Luckily there was another flash, but he was a little dismayed to see how little distance he had covered. By the time he reached the next street, the rain had picked up again and he could barely hear his own thoughts anymore. It was times like this he really wished he had brought his flashlight along. But, who would have thought you’d need it in the middle of a city.

The sound now drowning out all others, he hesitated, his eyes still unable to make anything out. Whenever his gaze was close to adjusting, the light would flicker again, completely resetting any progress they had made. He’d get nowhere like this; the best he could do is find a place to hunker down and wait for the storm to pass enough, which didn’t sound appealing in the slightest, but it was the best plan he could muster on the spot.

Biting his lip almost painfully, he gradually and carefully dragged his feet along, moving towards what he hoped to be a building. He was sure he saw one there during the last bout of visibility anyway. A shocked gasp escaped once his shoulder connected with the bricks, and both hands felt their way along it as he hugged against it. Sliding along, he soon rounded the corner, and just like that, he no longer felt the barrage upon his shoulders. Prompto lowered himself to sit with his back against the structure, knees already pulled up. Now, all he could do was wait.

It was a mere minute at most before he mentally slapped himself. Of course, he couldn’t just not fill the others in, they were probably wondering where he was by now, and if he didn’t check in with them, he knew Ignis would have a few colorful words for him. That wasn’t something he would have looked forward to, and he felt himself shudder from the thought of it...or maybe it was just the cold. It was difficult to discern the two at the moment.

Fumbling with it between slick fingers, he finally had it on and quickly tried to dial Noctis’ number, only to be immediately cut off. Swearing, he pulled it away from his ear to look it over. He wasn’t even sure if he should be surprised, but there was no signal. “Come on,” he whined, jerking it to different positions as if it would make a lick of difference. Giving up, he stuffed it back away and leaned his head back against the rough surface and allowed his eyes to slide shut for a moment, another flash pierced his lids and he tightened them slightly.

Then, they snapped open, instantly darting to stare wide eyed off to the side. “H-Hello?” he stuttered, listening closely. He could have sworn he heard someone walking, but it was hard to make out anything. No reply, but there was still an air of discomfort swirling around him. He never took his gaze away, searching for any signs of another presence, yet still there was nothing. Brushing it off, he tried to relax back against the wall.

Again, a tingle of warning coursed through him, and this time it was enough to yank him to his feet. “Who’s there?” he questioned, taking a timid step back. He still couldn’t see or hear anyone, and it was most likely his brain being paranoid due to all the extra noise. Though, one could never be too careful.

Hands gripping his upper arms almost protectively, he turned away and began to slowly make his way down this street. This path would require him to take more of a roundabout way to get back to the hotel, but if that’s what it took to avoid potential harm, then so be it.

All caution was out the window, and he took off. Thankfully, his footfalls were lost in the cascade, but that also meant so were others, and he felt a chill at that realization. He glanced behind him, almost forgetting the lack of visibility he had. He could see nothing, not even where he was going. The moment he thought he was far enough away, he slowed down, chest heaving and breaths coming out in drained and fearful pants.

Prompto leaned forward with his hands on his knees and tried to calm down; he was overreacting to nothing. Straightening back up, a hiss of surprise and another flash and he was back against the wall, inhales again labored and pained. His eyes darted around, and it was like searching a void, empty and closing in. A light whimper seeped out and he had no choice but to sit back out or risk falling when his legs began to grow weak.

He knew he was breathing too quickly, but he couldn’t control it, he couldn’t will himself to take a deep breath and calm down. A ringing eased into the inside of his skull, and it was the only thing he could recognize over the downpour. That and his own pounding heart, which he was sure would stop any second now.

Light filled the street again, and he was sure his pulse really did run out this time, features were highlighted for a brief moment, and they were close. There wasn’t time to make them out, but there was no mistaking it. There was a person, someone following him; he couldn't stay here. He tried to get up, pushed himself up and the slick ground pulled him back down as he lost his footing. Before he could try again, he could feel them, standing right next to him, and he hated to admit it, but he froze. He let his terror and uncertainty get the better of him in the moment, and shame washed over him.

“Prom?” His body solidified, and moving was now something that wasn’t possible. However, his eyes were still cooperating, and they drifted over to meet the source of the gruff voice. At the sight of the large figure, adrenaline fled his veins to the point where it was the hand clasped around his are the held most of his weight.

The blond took a few more quick and shallow breaths until he was sure he could speak clearly enough. “G-Gladdy?” he whispered, unsure if he could even be heard.

He was sure he heard a small ‘yeah,’ but the ringing in his ears was still present, waning, though strong. “What the hell are you doing out here?” Prompto’s eyes snapped over to another form, a smaller one. “We came looking for you, but you kept runnin’ off,” he sighed, sounding a little annoyed about the chase that had ensued.

At that, the gunner felt heat rise to his face, and he had no words to say; it was embarrassing as shit to tell the truth. “Oh...about that…” he trailed off, his gaze dropping to the ground.

“Later,” the shield cut in, releasing his grip now that Prompto had gathered himself up enough. “For now, I’d like to get back to the hotel where it’s dry,” he grunted. “You can tell us what you were playing at then. Let’s go,” he muttered loud enough and turned around, waving a hand to the others to follow.

Nodding, the blond folded his arms around himself and fell into step behind him, Noctis took up the back. “So, why’d you guys come out here? Were you worried I’d get lost or something?” he chuckled, trying to joke about it, but there was an essence of accusation. Though, underneath it all, he was pretty thankful for the run in.

“Not really,” Gladio answered. “Power was going out and it just didn’t seem like the best idea to be out here during all this,” he waved a hand towards the sky for clarification, not that it was needed...or seen.

“Well, thanks anyway,” the other breathed out, trying to sound casual, despite the fact that the others could read him like an open book. He wasn’t fooling anyone.

He heard a hum behind him and a grunt in front of him; yup, just like them to brush it off as well. Smiling to himself, he reached both hands up and gripped his camera between them, his thumbs tracing over its edges. Without meaning to, he stepped closer to the man in front of him in an attempt to make sure they wouldn’t be separated. If it were noticed, nothing was said about it.

During the short walk back, he permitted himself to relax a bit and told himself that everything was fine now. Nothing would happen as long as they were with him, and with that in mind, he was able to journey the rest of the way without a doubt in his mind. As long as he had them, he’d be alright.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uhhhhhh, so I think Imma stop taking requests until I can cut this list down a tad. XD Sorry, but it got pretty long, so just need some time to get a few done before opening it back up to new ones. But, if you have questions or anything, you can reach me on Tumblr as well.
> 
> And, I'm sorry and hate to do this, but from now on, I will message people before I do your story, and if I don't get a reply, it will be skipped until I hear from you again. Only reason I feel the need to do this is because multiple times, I have written a request, and the person would never show up again. And, honestly, these take time, and if the person that asked doesn't stick around, then I don't want to take the time to do it.
> 
> Queue as of now:
> 
> ~~Kloudia1 (Skipped until I get a response)  
~~laurelilith (I think this user no longer exists, so it has been skipped)  
Snow  
mabver321  
MasterThiefWolf  
Tabbys_desire  
the lazy one  
Crystal  
Ann  
'Anonymous4'  
Robin  
Luna the Wolf Mage  
FredrikssonT  
MsChievous  
NicoleBL


	26. A Minor Inconvenience

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Summary: While on a recovery mission, Prompto gets swept away by some unseen enemy. But, when they go after him, they don't find what they were expecting.
> 
> Warning: This is a de-aged fic. Something I've never touched on before, but I tried my best. So, sorry if it's not done in the best way, but like I said, it's my first attempt at it. ;w;

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta read by: Sinikka_von_Wolperting
> 
> Request for: Kloudia1

This place sucked, there was just no other way of describing it: It was cold, it was dark, and the smell was almost sickening. It reeked of mildew and other musky scents as the merged into one foul and putrid aroma. Noctis reached out a hand and ran it across the slick surface of one of the walls and groaned at the sensation. “Why did we agree to this?” he complained, wiping the moisture onto his shirt.

“You mean, why did you agree to it?” his shield corrected with a huff. Clearly, he had been against this detour from the beginning.

Shrugging, the prince scanned his light down another passageway. “I dunno, guess it was the whole spur of the moment thing. And, it’s a bit tougher to deny someone help when you’re right in front of them, ya’know.”

“Really starting to wish you hadn’t,” Prompto sighed from right behind him, jumping back and gasping immediately afterward. “Just a puddle,” he breathed out in relief, his heart beating a million times a minute. “Seriously though, why is it always caves. Why can’t it ever be a peaceful meadow, or I dunno, a sunny day at the beach. But noooooo, always with the monster infested death tunnels.”

He slipped to a stop, almost losing his balance in the process as Noctis halted. “Do you hear that?” he asked, holding up a hand.

“Hear what?” the blond asked, subdued and tight fear in his voice.

“Silence,” the raven replied with a smirk before he continued on. “It’s not that bad; yeah, it’s a little creepy, but we’ve been in worse.”

Ignis took this is his moment to butt in, “I feel obliged to agree on that one.” Right as Noctis went to give his satisfied nod, the adviser tossed in a, “If I recall, your room used to be quite a bit more terrifying than a cave could ever be.” A rare occurrence took place, the prince was at a loss for words. Stuttering for a moment, he skipped forward a couple steps to walk next to the brunet.

“I have no idea what you mean by that,” he finally got out, feigning ignorance, but failing miserably. The other didn’t have to say a word; a simple knowing look was all it took to make him squirm on the spot. “You sure you aren’t exaggerating just a bit there?”

The other seemed to think about if for a moment, faking putting actual consideration into his reply. “I believe I remember it accurately enough.” Noctis’ eye twitched at the chuckle coming from behind him. One that was clearly attempted to be held back.

He shot a warning glare in the gunner’s direction, who instantly straightened up and looked off to the side as if everything was perfectly normal. “Yeah yeah, keep laughin’,” the raven mumbled after a second, getting another amused snort from the other right after that statement. “Damn, how far does this thing go on for?” he rhetorically asked, changing the subject.

“It’s a cave that hasn’t been explored for at least a year,” Gladio spoke up, a hint of patronizing in his tone. “Not like we could really get a map of the place.”

“Did we look or ask to see if there was one?” he snippily bit back. “There could be one somewhere as far as we know.” He wasn’t exactly wrong, they had barely did their research on the place. Though, it was much to Ignis’ annoyance that they had failed to take such precautions. He much prefered to at least ask around before charging head first into these sketchy places.

The brute scoffed again, “Little late to be wondering these things now, isn’t it?” He raised a questioning brow, one that was never seen by the other. “As soon as she asked us to find her cat though, you just jumped on board, no more questions asked.

“What can I say...I’m a considerate guy,” Noctis replied almost dreamily.

“That, or it could have something to do with the promised money reward,” Prompto suggested, pretty sure he hit on the mark with that one. And, if the way a small jolt ran through the prince, he was right.

Tilting his head, the raven responded, “Well, no one complained at the time, and we do need the funds. It’s a win-win situation. She gets her cat back, and we get the money we need.”

“Perfect, that way we can afford the therapy we’re gonna nee-” the gunner went to reply, getting cut off and jumping forward. “W-What the hell was that?” he blurted out, tone higher than normal. “I swear, something slithered by my leg...something big and slimy, and I’m beginning to think that maybe her pet isn't here. Oh what a shame, guess it’s time to go back.”

He jumped again when a heavy hand landed on his shoulder. “Will you calm down, I didn’t see or feel anything. You’re probably just imagining things,” the shield guessed. Though, the paranoia was understandable. It was hard to make out just about anything and the constant dripping they were listening to was starting to wear down on even him.

“Dude, I know what I felt,” he said shakily, shining his light around like a madman. “That definitely was not my imagination, something is here, and I personally don’t want anything to do with it.”

“You could always go back, no one is making you come along,” Noctis reminded.

“Yeah, ok, I’ll just walk alone...for about twenty minutes...in these tunnels. Because that sounds safe and peaceful.” He continued to flash his light around, keeping his eyes peeled for anything out of the ordinary.

Noctis couldn’t help but roll his eyes, “If you don’t wanna go back, then come on and stop whining about it.” Prompto grunted at that, not bothering with a real answer as he was too focused with his own little task. And, it took a few moments, but he finally spotted something and snapped his fingers. The sound echoed off the close walls and pulled everyone’s attentions towards him.

“Aha!” he exclaimed, crouching down. “You see that?” he turned to the others, pointing excitedly at a rather narrow corridor, one that was close to the ground and had a light breeze filtering through it. “It’s cold,” he mumbled, leaning closer and feeling the edge of it only to recoil from the temperature.

“You should crawl in and check it out,” Gladio teased, shooting the younger a grin as he folded his arms. Prompto turned to look over his shoulder and give a look of his own.

The blond rolled his eyes and turned his back on the passage. “Ok, yeah sure, I’ll just mosey on in, and I’ll let you guys know if there’s a giant monster on the other side waiting to consume as al- AH!” He let out a startled cry, instantly trying to yank his leg back while something coiled around his ankle. Whatever it was had a solid hold on him and wasted no time in tugging at the limb.

“Prompto!” Noctis was already summoning his weapon, preparing to attack whatever it was, not that any of them had exactly been able to catch sight of it yet. “What is it?” he asked, trying to peer into the tunnel, but unable to see anything past his friend's form. It was a tight spot, one that the blond could hardly fit in. “Dammit, I don’t see anything.”

Ignis lightly, yet firmly pushed the raven aside. With him out of the way, the adviser got down on his hands and knees. “Gladio, grab hold of him before that things has the chance to drag him farther down,” he ordered, a bit of bite in his voice. The shield didn’t ask questions, he immediately did what was asked of him and grabbed hold of both of the blond’s wrists. The latter hadn’t said anything since being grabbed and had his face tilted downward, a low groan was the only sound escaping him.

“You alright there?” the brute asked, starting to grow concerned. It took a moment, but he soon received a subtle nod in response. It wasn’t what he was looking for, but it was something at least. His grip tightened when he felt him slip; and, all the while, the others were doing what they could in locating their attacker, both of them coming up empty handed. There was just no way past him. It seemed as though all they could do was hold on to him and wait for it to release him.

Prompto’s teeth were clenched as the grasp on his ankle didn’t let up, if anything it was just more determined. “Gladio, let go,” he finally uttered, his voice tight with discomfort. “Just let go before my foot gets ripped off,” he practically begged. “It’ll be fine, alright.”

“Are you insane?” the shield shot back, but let out a gasp when the other tried to yank his arms away. “Hey, what the hell are you doing?” he questioned in irritation, right before the gunner gave one last and solid tug, this time effectively causing the shield to lose his grip.

“Prompto!” He shouted down the passage, his hands still hovering in the exact same spot. “Son of a bitch!” he swore under his breath, pushing himself up to his feet. “We have to get down there.”

Noctis looked from him to the hole, “For some reason, I think that will be rather difficult.” Letting out a heavy breath, he wiggled out of his jacket and let it fall to the ground. “I, on the other hand, should be able to fit.” Before he had the chance to start crawling, his adviser was stepping in front of him.

“Do you really think it’s wise to just go after him. I’m sure we’re all worried, but we don’t know what that thing was or where it took him.” He kept his voice low and collected, no matter how difficult that may have been. “We all felt it, there was a breeze, which means there is likely another way down.” The prince didn’t look convinced though, of anything, he appeared more ready to hop on in.

Reaching out, the raven placed a hand on the brunet’s upper arm and lead him aside. “Yeah, it’s likely, but not guaranteed. This,” he jabbed a thumb in the direction of the tunnel, “is guaranteed.” He dropped to his hands and knees and started to shuffle in.

“Guess there’s no point in arguing,” Ignis mumbled, fingers massaging into his temple. “Gladio, wait here, we’ll be back as soon as we can.” He looked ready to protest, clearly just as thrilled as the other was about this outcome. “Don’t worry, I won’t let him do anything reckless...or anything else reckless,” he corrected, realizing the prince was already a decent way down.

“Just...be careful,” he uttered, nodding his head in an indication for them to get going already. “I’ll be here when you get back, and if anything happens, you better find a way to let me know.

The adviser simply hummed in compliance and followed after the raven, albeit at a slower pace seeing as he wasn’t quite as small as he was. The whole way down was tedious and obviously uncomfortable. It felt as though it went on forever, though it couldn’t have been more than a couple of minutes. And, by the time he was at the halfway mark, he could make out Noctis’ cies for his friend. All of which went unanswered. Carefully and slowly, he worked his way out of the close confines and spent a couple seconds stretching his muscles and giving them a chance to relax once more.

“Noct,” he called out as soon as he caught sight of him, “I would suggest keeping it down, we don’t know what’s down here.” Surprisingly, the prince had ceased his pleas by the time he reached to him; which was so unlike him to listen the first time to anything. In fact, it was safe to call a little worrying. “What is it?” he asked now that he was able to discern his features, eyes wide as they stared off at something in the distance.

Nothing, all he got was a few heavy blinks before the other took a few steps forward, his face never faltering or dropping its shocked appearance. “What the…” his cautious steps swiftly picked up pace until he was almost jogging. At this, Ignis followed his gaze and he full understood the confusion at once.

“Is that...a child?” he asked himself, his breath catching in his chest. How the hell was a kid all the way down here? It didn’t make sense. He rushed over himself, his curiosity running a muck on the inside. The closer he got, the younger he realized they were, couldn’t have been more than a few years. And the fact that they appeared to be relatively unharmed. Well, considering where they were, it was impressive.

He slowed down once he was right behind the prince. Shaking his head, he quickly remembered the point of even coming down here to begin with. “Any, uh, any sign of Prompto?” he asked, glancing around, only to look back when he heard a small whimper coming from the child.

“I think so,” he replied tentatively, sounding unsure of himself. Swallowing thickly, he stepped closer to the kid and crouched down in front of him. “Ignis, can I ask you something?” he questioned over his shoulder, beckoning for the brunet to come closer. “Tell me, does...does he look familiar to you?” he wondered, looking back to the blond child before them.

Ignis was skeptical at first, but decided to play along and humor the guy. Kneeling down next to Noctis, he readjusted his glasses and leaned closer, which only resulted in the kid reeling away from the sudden close proximity. “Calm down, I’m not here to hurt you,” he promised, wondering if he was even old enough to understand him. He assumed he did seeing as he didn’t pull away any farther. “By the astrals,” he muttered, his own eyes wide once he got a glimpse into this bright blues.

“Prompto?”

The single word got his attention, and all his focus was on the adviser. “What the hell…” Noctis mumbled. “Ignis...is this even possible?” he asked, tone full of disbelief. The words came out as a hushed whisper, finding difficulty in getting them to sound out.

The brunet shook his head slowly. “I’m not sure,” he admitted, “But, it’s pretty hard to deny at this point.” He was still finding it hard to imagine it though, it just didn’t make any sense...not a bit. His eyes widening with clarity, he swiftly removed his own jacket, coming to the realization that this child had absolutely no clothing on and it wasn’t exactly cozy down here. Tentatively, he draped the article around him and scooped him up into his arms. Instantly, the blond leaned into it, almost welcoming the close contact.

“Look around for anything else,” he muttered, tone flat as he straightened back up and began to make his way back towards the tunnel. “And, if you see any signs of danger, come back immediately; I don’t want you messing with it. Do you understand?”

“Yeah,” Noctis replied, no arguments, “I get it.” He cut his eyes over to the kid in his adviser’s arms. “If only you could explain what the hell happened,” he whispered to himself, still wondering if this was even real. But, it had to be, it was too vivid to be a dream. He watched as Ignis crouched before the tunnel and begin to persuade...Prompto - he shuddered at acknowledging that that’s really who it was - to go in. And, it took some coaxing, but he eventually went along with it, not before a few whines and whimpers though.

He honestly didn’t know how or what to feel, what was one supposed to feel in a situation like this...it was unheard of. His hands clenched at his sides, nails biting into the palms of his hands. “We’ll figure this out,” he muttered, turning his attention away just as the brunet had disappeared into it. First thing was first, which was finding the blonds clothes, as awkward as that sounded.

Not a lot of time had gone by, but Gladio was quickly losing his patience, and he was beginning to pace back and forth, his nerves on edge. Anything could have happened; what if they got lost? What if they fell to their death? His step faltered, he knew he was overthinking this, but he couldn’t help but to worry about such things. It was his job to be on edge like this. Soon, his steps faltered as his ears picked up on something, something that seemed strangely out of place. And, he couldn’t quite figure out of the distant sounds of crying was just his imagination or what.

Interest piqued as the noise increased in volume, he turned his attention towards the tunnel, and he could have sworn they were coming from there, echoing and filtering into the space he occupied. Keeping his eyes peeled, he inched towards it and peered inside. Very faintly, he could hear someone shuffling through, and the cries never let up. If anything, they continued their escalation and intensity.

“Hello?” he called down, somewhat quietly. “Who’s there?” he added after not receiving an answer. Finally, he could make out a light.

“Gladio,” a voice replied at last, and it sounded like Ignis, but there was something off about it. “Can you hear me?” He waited, staying as quiet as he could until he got a response of confirmation. “Alright, um, we found something, and we’re going to need you to remain calm. Think you can do that?”

Bewildered, he brute narrowed his eyes. “What? Where’s Prompto, did you find him? And where’s Noct?” His panic was beginning to build up, with with the adviser’s tone the way it was, something was definitely wrong. He didn’t sound that concerned that often. “Is everything alright?” No response, that was all he needed to know.

Still not saying a word, Ignis pushed himself along, making sure the kid stayed ahead of him and didn’t stop for more than a few seconds. “Go on, he’s not going to harm you,” he assured, not certain if his words were even understood, but he prayed they were. And, they must have been, at least to some degree, as he crawled a little faster. Of course, he never ceased his crying, but it was softer and less fear-filled.

The moment someone made their way out, the shield was at a loss of what to do. “Wha…” he uttered, brows knit together and he was forced to shake his head to clear it. “Ignis, where...how?” He didn’t know what he should ask first.

“Don’t ask,” he tightly replied, pulling himself out of the tunnel with a breath of relief. As soon as he was on the other side, he again had Prompto in his arms. “I don’t know what happened, and I don’t know how, but whatever happened, happened. And...well, Prompto is…” he cocked his head towards the blond in his arms. If it weren’t for the situation, he would have found the way Gladio’s mouth hung open uselessly to be rather amusing. But, he felt about the same way if he were being honest.

“Wait, are you trying to tell me, th-that that...is Prompto?” he questioned incredulously.

He knew how ridiculous it sounded, but looking at him, the similarities was uncanny. As his eyes drifted to look back into those blues, he was completely sure it was true. “Yeah, that’s exactly what I’m telling you.” He still didn’t look convinced, but he didn’t have any argument against it either. How was one supposed to counter a claim like that. Sure, it didn’t sound plausible in the slightest, but when you never expected to receive news such as that.

Tightening his expression, he leaned down to be on eye level with the toddler and gazed at his features for a few moments; his own intense gaze searching that sky. Slowly, his face faltered as recognition snuck in and he finally stood back straight. “I’ll be damned,” he muttered, at a loss of what else to say. “Where’s Noct?” he asked, lifting his scrutiny.

Ignis simply glanced behind him, “He’s gathering a few things...he should be back shortly.” As if on queue, the sounds of more shuffling could be heard; only, this time there was a few more colorful vocabulary along with it.

“Dammit,” he muttered as he finally surfaced, one hand rubbing at his upper arm, one which cradled what looked to be clothing. “This is all I could find,” he announced dropping his gaze. “Which means...I guess it’s really him,” he glanced up for only a fraction of a second and cleared his throat unnaturally. “So, what does this mean; what the hell are we even supposed to do? We can’t just take him back, can we? O-Or do we drop him off somewher-”

Ignis help up a single hand to silence him, the other still wrapped snuggle around the kid. “Settle down. We’ll figure it out, just try not to panic. Freaking out won't do anyone any good.” The moment those words left his mouth, Prompto began to squirm, a series of small and displeasurable whines leaving him. And, they could all sense it before it came. Luckily it wasn’t too intense, but the cries were just enough to cause a unison of sighs. “Or this will happen,” the adviser breathed out.

Gladio had already placed one hand against one of his ears; it’s not like he wasn’t fond of children, but he wasn’t a fan of the sounds they could produce either. “Nice going there, Princess,” he huffed out, casting the raven a sideways glance.

“Like you know what you’re doing,” he replied, wincing slightly when the cry hitched for a moment.

At that, the shield rolled his eyes and held his arms out to take the fidgeting toddler. More than eager to do so, the brunet handed him over, and the reaction was almost instant. It was like a peace had washed over as things calmed down. Gladio gave something of a smirk to Noctis. “You were saying?” he raised an eyebrow, readjusting the blond into a more comfortable position for them both.

“Now that that’s taken care of,” Ignis cut in, “I suggest we figure something out.” He gave the both of them a look of warning, silently telling them to take this a bit more seriously than they were. “I suggest we get him out of this place first; we have no idea what else could be down here, and he can no longer defend himself.” A jolt went through the both of them; they hadn’t even thought about that.

“Yeah,” the prince agreed, shifting from one foot to the other. Gladio also hummed in confirmation and scratched the back of his neck. Though, exactly what they were supposed to do from here was still unclear to all of them. Best they could do was just roll with it for the time being. “Let’s just go,” he walked on, waving his hand for the others to follow.

Surprisingly, the journey back was nowhere near as long as the trip down. Either they were moving faster, or it could have been due to the fact that all of them were distracted, their minds preoccupied with more important manners. And, all was quiet throughout the tunnels, there wasn’t a single peep up until they had finally reached the end and sunlight filtered in. There were only a few whimpers to leak out at that though.

They came to a sudden halt, a silhouette stepping into few unexpectedly. “Hello?” Ignis called out, one hand raising to block out the intense rays. Whoever it was didn’t stand in a threatening way.

“What are the likes of you three doing here?” he answered back, sounding oddly familiar. “I wasn’t expecting others to be he-” he cut himself off, shock striking him at the sight before him. As he stood there, taken aback, the others took that time to move closer, and slowly they could make out features.

“Cor?” Gladio asked, both curious and concerned as to why he was in a place like this. But, the older man said nothing, his eyes locked onto the kid in the brute’s arms. Eyebrows rising, the shield looked down to Prompto and then back up. “Something wrong?”

Slowly, he forced his attention back up, his mouth opening and closing in silent questioning. “How did this happen?” he asked instantly, wasting no time in getting to the point. “I-Is that…?

“Prompto?” Ignis filled in. “I can’t be certain, but I have a strong feeling. We’re not entirely sure what happened...or why, but this is the outcome of...something.” He glanced back over to find the man nodding along, but he barely seemed to be listening at this point. “Do you know something about this?” he shot at him, voice full of accusation. “If you know anything, then I’d suggest letting us in on it.”

His head went from nodding to gradually moving from side to side. “No, I can’t say that I do. I was sent here to take care of something else, nothing like this was ever mentioned. But, it does raise some questions.” Cor looked back to the child, his chest tightening slightly at seeing him like this again. “Mind if I…?”

Blinking a few times, Gladio obliged. “By all means,” he muttered, handing him right over. It was a bit strange to see someone as renowned as him holding what seemed to be a two year old so naturally and without issue. But, it was like second nature to him, and it made the others start to wonder.

He held the blond up in order to look into his eyes. “What happened to you?” he muttered, low enough to not be heard by the others. In response, the child grabbed a fistful of his hair, forcing him to pull him away with a small hiss. “Hey, enough of that.” Lowering him back down, he looked to the others. “Whatever is down there, it’s going to have to be taken care of sooner or later,” he informed, but the weight in his arms made him reconsider. “Though, I don’t think now is the time for that.”

“I feel inclined to agree,” Ignis folder his arms. “What would you suggest we do?” he asked, assuming Cor to be a more reasonable choice for such decisions.

“Well, first thing’s first, we need to get him somewhere safe.”

“We have a hotel room a few miles from here,” Gladio filled in, shrugging. “Don’t know if I’d call some of those places safe, but I figure it’s better than the middle of nowhere,” he joked, trying to lighten the situation.

Cor just nodded along, his eyes again wandering to look into those intense blues. And, as much as it pained him to accept it, there was no recognition in them. It was as though he didn’t even know who he was anymore; didn’t know who any of them were. “Yeah, that should work just fine,” he said, realizing just then that the other had spoken.

For a few minutes, Prompto just sat there, sitting on the floor as quiet as ever and barely even looking around. “Are we sure he didn’t get brain damage while he was down there?” Noctis asked, only half joking, though there was a hint of fear in his tone.

“He’s fine,” Cor replied, seeing no difference in now and before. “Some kids are just like that, shy and keep to themselves,” he shrugged, as if that was common knowledge. This caused the curiosity in the others to spike and they narrowed their eyes.

Gladio leaned forward in his seat to look intently at the immortal. “Tell me, how do you know so much about kids?” he asked, voice dripping with incredulousness. He never tore his gaze away as he waited on the answer.

The other tensed up at that, like he had been caught red-handed. “I don’t know, just instincts, I suppose,” he uttered, trying to play it off. “Some people are more inclined to deal with such things, and I happen to be one of those people.” He could tell the others weren’t buying it, not for a single second. “Let’s just say I’ve had my fair share of experience,” he finally settled on, leaving out a few important details. “Point is, I know what I’m doing.” Both Ignis and Gladio decided to leave it at that. Clearly there was more to it, but if he didn’t feel like explaining it, then they wouldn’t push it.

“Do you think it’s permanent?” Noctis asked, ignoring all the other stuff that was said. All he wanted was answers, and straight ones at that.

Cor had no response for that. Like them, he couldn’t say what was going on, this was something he wasn’t familiar with. There were rumors of course, things such as the fountain of youth, or other methods of reducing one’s age, but it was never something he particularly believed in himself. Looking at this though, it was no longer a thing one could openly deny as reality. “I hope not,” he muttered, not meeting the prince’s gaze, “I really do hope it isn’t.”

At this, Prompto finally decided it was time to move from his spot and made a beeline straight to Gladio. His steps were wobbly and poorly placed, causing him to stumble within a few footfalls. The shield was quick with the reflex though and was able to scoop him up before he had the chance to fall. “Easy there,” he chuckled, helping him to stand back up. “So, do we find a babysitter now or something?” he asked, not being completely serious.

“I’m not sure if there is much other choice,” Cor replied, his tone anything but joking. “Unless you guys have a better idea. Obviously you can’t let him tag along now, that’d be a bit on the reckless side, don’t you think?”

Gladio folded his arms, but not before ruffling his own hair in frustration. His amber gaze drifted down as Prompto stumbled forward again, but this time he was close enough to grab hold of his leg. “Yeah,” he sighed, all of this was still so surreal, and it still didn’t feel real to any of them. Maybe it was just a weird fever dream of sorts, that would have made a hell of a lot more sense.

“I wouldn’t mind taking him off your hands though,” Cor offered. “I can find someone who would be willing to take care of him until this can be figured out.” He ducked his head, hoping he was convincing enough, even though he was even trying to persuade himself this as well.

The brute took a deep breath and looked to the others, both of which wore the same expression; one of sorrow and confusion. “Alright, I think we can do that,” he finally said, leaning down to lift the blond up and placing him on his lap. “Well, I guess this is it,” he breathed out, looking back into those oceanic orbs. “But, we’ll figure this out...eventually,” he promised.

He was getting ready to pass him over to the others so they could say whatever it was they needed to say, but something seemed off all of a sudden. There was a spark in those eyes, almost like he was looking right through the man. “You alrigh-” he went ot question, getting cut off as a strange puff of green smoke exploded around him. His eyes stung from the offending mist and he had to cough to get breath into his lungs. “W-What the hell?” he choked out, vaguely aware of the increased weight upon him. And, he didn’t even have to look to see what was going on.

“Uhhh, Gladdy?” he peeked through the remainder of the smoke to make out that scruff of golden hair, albeit it a bit higher than it previously was. “Why...why am I on your lap?” he asked, eyes wide and full of panic. Then he glanced down and his face lit up with a red hue. In a split second, he was on his feet and grabbing the cover off the nearest bed. He tore it free and wrapped it snugly around himself. “Ok, what the hell is this? Why am I naked, and why is Cor here?” he blurted out, unable to settle on one single question.

No one knew what to say, they were all as shocked as he was. Cor was the first to react and pushed himself back up. “Well, I guess I’m no longer needed. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have other matters to attend to,” he gave a small wave, ignoring the few utters behind him. He was out, it would have to be something he would have to look into later. But, right now, this was all too weird for him.

“Guys?” the blond asked. “Where are my clothes?” He scanned around, quickly spotting them on the other bed and wasted no time in getting to them. “I swear, if this is some kind of prank or something, Imma kill every single one of you. It’s not funny. You guys didn’t drug me or anything did you?” he added, a little scared of what that answer might be.

“Calm down,” Ignis finally collected himself enough to step in. “Look, I wish I could tell you, but I can’t. None of us know what went on, or how any of this happened, but no, we did not do anything to you.”

“T-Then what happened?” his heart was still beating painfull against his ribs.

“We don’t know,” Noctis replied, “but it doesn’t matter, it’s over with now.” He looked to the other two, silently asking them not to say anything. “Though, I’d suggest we don’t go back to that cave. If her cat is really down there, I’m sure it’ll find its own way out.” The others instantly agreed, not wanting to go through that again. Even though it didn’t last long, they didn’t want to risk that happening again, no matter how long it would affect them.

The blond nodded hastily. “Right, I can get behind that, I’d rather not go back if it ends with me waking up...naked...in another man's lap.” he reddened again at the mere thought of that and shook it away. “Anyway, I say we move on to the next place, and never come back. Forget this place ever existed.”

“Can’t complain,” Gladio muttered, feeling the humiliation for himself. “I think we’d all like to forget this place.” The other two nodded profusely, already working on getting their things together. Deep down, they all still prayed and hoped that none of this was actually real.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uhhhhhh, so I think Imma stop taking requests until I can cut this list down a tad. XD Sorry, but it got pretty long, so just need some time to get a few done before opening it back up to new ones. But, if you have questions or anything, you can reach me on Tumblr as well.
> 
> And, I'm sorry and hate to do this, but from now on, I will message people before I do your story, and if I don't get a reply, it will be skipped until I hear from you again. Only reason I feel the need to do this is because multiple times, I have written a request, and the person would never show up again. And, honestly, these take time, and if the person that asked doesn't stick around, then I don't want to take the time to do it.
> 
> Queue as of now:
> 
> ~laurelilith (I think this user no longer exists, so it has been skipped)  
Snow  
mabver321  
MasterThiefWolf  
the lazy one  
Crystal  
Ann  
'Anonymous4'  
Robin  
Luna the Wolf Mage  
FredrikssonT  
MsChievous  
NicoleBL
> 
> Also, one has been removed since I'm so selfish.


	27. I'm Supposed to Protect You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ignis Gladio and Prompto are the ones tasked with protecting Noctis, but, sometimes one of them will be in need of the rescuing. C:

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta read by: Sinikka_von_Wolperting
> 
> Request for: Snow

Noctis dragged his feet along, the trivial events of the day finally starting to bear down on his shoulders. Nothing major had happened, but it just seemed to be one of those days that you just wanted to be over. He sighed again, and it must have been about the hundredth time or so, because the others breathed out heavily themselves. Only theirs was obviously out of annoyance from the raven’s sulky mood.

He shifted his eyes over to Gladio, then over to Ignis, both of them thoroughly ignoring the looks they were receiving. “It’s so damn hot,” he complained at last, once he realized just glaring wasn’t enough.

“And what do you suppose I do about that?” the advisor asked, cutting his eyes over. “Shall I ask the sun nicely to tone it down a bit?”

The prince rolled his eyes at that smart-assed response. “No, but you can dial that attitude down a few notches.” He groaned again and looked up the the waning colors, trying to will them to hurry up and change faster. This heat was getting ridiculous in his opinion, but he couldn’t really be surprised. They were getting closer to the meteor after all, so it was to be expected.

“At least it will only be for a few days,” Prompto tried to reassure, sounding exhausted and sick of the temperature himself. Difference was, he gave up on complaining about it ages ago, whereas Noctis was too stubborn for such things.

“Could have been about a day less if it weren’t for that little detour…” the raven reminded.

At that, the blond straightened up and shifted his blues nervously. “I-I dunno what you’re talking about. It was something that couldn’t be passed up, and it wasn’t _that _far out of the way,” he chuckled, scratching the back of his head.

“It took three hours to get there,” Gladio deadpanned, shooting the gunner and incredulous look.

“Well, no one complained at the time!”

Ignis chimed in at that, “Actually, I recall all of us having an opinion on the matter.” Prompto opened and closed his mouth a few times, trying to come up with a comeback for that, but he had nothing. Instead, he grumbled something under his breath and picked up his pace to walk a few feet in front of the rest.

The raven shook his head at the spectacle and smiled to himself. It was always so easy, and so entertaining. “How much farther until we reach a haven?” he asked, yanking the conversation back onto track. They’d been walking all day, surely they were close by now. The lack of a reply he got was plenty to go off of. He wondered if any of them really knew where they were going in the first place. “Did you hear me?” he asked in irritation after being ignored.

“There’s one around somewhere, so don’t get your panties in a bunch,” the shield replied, fighting the urge to say anything else. “Just be patient, and I’m sure we’ll see it in n- Well, ask and you shall recieve I guess,” he swiftly corrected himself, spotting the lightly glowing markings in the distance.

Noctis blew out a puff of air dramatically, “Finalllyyyyy. I’m ready to lie down and just cool off already.” He relaxed his shoulders and picked up his feet a bit now that salvation was on the horizon. For the first time that day, he was traveling ahead of the group, even surpassing Ignis.

“Who lit a torch under your ass,” Gladio mumbled, smirking as he followed suit. “Guess we better hurry up ourselves before we get left behind.”

“Nah, I’d prefer to take my time,” Prompto replied, watching as the shield jogged past him, and within a minute or so, he was at the back of the group.

Noctis and Ignis, one the other hand, were pretty far ahead. The former because of his impatience, and the other for the sake of making sure he didn’t get into trouble. Because if that guy was anything, it was unlucky and a danger magnet. Too busy just trying to keep up with the raven, he let his guard fall just for the time being. It was safe to assume everything would be fine, they were practically at the haven already.

But, just a few feet behind the prince, his ears picked up on something, something eerie and out of place. “Noct,” he called ahead, his voice tight with uncertainty. Thankfully, his warning didn’t fall on deaf ears, and he complied in an instant, ceasing his movements and looking back.

“What is it now?” he asked, sounding annoyed, but concerned at the same time. He knew that if the adviser was stopping him like that, then something must have been off.

The brunet held up a hand, and raised it high enough for the other two to catch a glimpse of it as well. “I think something’s here,” he whispered, holding a finger up to his lips. In an instant, he had one of his daggers drawn and gripped securely in his right hand. Slowly, he took a few more steps forward, walking with the toe pointed down in order to make the least amount of noise possible.

Now a bit on edge, Noctis glanced around, not seeing anything immediately, and he was starting to wonder if Ignis were just being paranoid. Getting tired of waiting around, and with no signs of anything, the prince let out a sigh and relaxed a bit. “I don’t think anything’s he-” his words were bit off, a low and guttural sound filling the air. His eyes widened and shoulders tensed with the sound. Whatever it was, it sounded aggressive. Not long after, there were more, and he assumed there had to be at least four of them.

“W-What is that?” the blond asked, voice shaky as he summoned his own weapon. He held it with both hands to keep it steady as he, too, scanned the area around them.

Unlike the others, Gladio was automatically facing towards the source, his eyes narrowing as they locked onto some nearby rocks. It took him another few seconds, however, to notice just how close the adviser was to them. “Ignis,” he called out, tone carrying a degree of panic to it. “Move!” But, he was too late, the moment that word left his lips, he could make out the shape of a dog-like creature pouncing over the top of their cover.

“Iggy!” Noctis cried out as well, his feet moving before he had time to think about it. And, he wasn’t sure what drove him to react so quickly...instincts, maybe. Whatever it was, it was fast and it felt as though his body were moving of its own volition. In the blink of an eye, or what felt like one, he was ramming into the man, effectively knocking him off his feet.

The two of them landed with a ‘thud’, the breath getting knocked out of the older of the two. There was no time to compose himself, he had to get up and protect Noctis. And, that he did, but he froze part of the way way, one hand gripping the raven’s shoulder as he was moving him, and the other propping himself up.

“Your Highness,” he breathed out, trying to get his attention.

Groaning, those dark eyes raised to gaze back. “I’m fine,” he uttered. The other knit his brows, the word: ‘bullshit’ itching on the tip of his tongue. He would have gave in to the temptation too, if it weren’t for the threat still present, still growling from a few feet away. Before he could do anything, the sound of a gunshot rang out.

“Iggy! Noct!” the blond sprinted over, dropping to his knees once he reached them. “Are you guys alri-Noct…” His eyes widened at the sight of multiple spine protruding from his back; his hands went to hover over them, wondering if he should pull them out or not.

As if reading the young man’s mind, Ignis blurted out, “Remove those, as quickly as you can!” It came out harsher than he had intended, but there were so many, and they had already been stuck in there for far longer than he would have cared for. “Do what you can, Gladio and I will take care of the rest. So, get those out and move him to the haven.” As he talked, he worked his way out from under the raven, careful not to move him more than he needed to.

“Iggy,” Noctis muttered, trying to push himself up, “I said...I’m fine.” His words were forced out between labored breaths.

“Quickly,” he ignored the prince’s pleas and charged out, leaving the two of them to handle things.

“Alright, I-I’m sorry, but this will probably hurt,” the blond apologized before even doing anything. He was nervous, his hands were trembling, and was it him or was it hotter than normal. “Ok, one at a time,” he announced right before yanking out the first one. All gentleness was cast aside as he worked. With each pluck, Noctis hissed in pain and flinched away from it. “I’m sorry, I’m going as fast as I can,” he assured.

What felt like a lifetime had went by before they were all out and lying in a pile next to them. “We have to get out of here. Can you walk?” he questioned, leaning down to see his face. His eyes were closed, but he still seemed to be awake.

“Yeah,” he breathed out, the sound barely audible. Of course, Prompto didn’t by it for a second, but at the same time, he wasn’t sure if he could carry him.

“Ok, on three then,” he informed, pulling one of his arms to drape it over his shoulders. “One, two...and three,” he grunted, hefting the prince up until he was standing somewhat on his feet. Unsurprisingly, he was bearing the majority of the weight, but that didn’t stop Noctis from trying. Even with each step they took, and even as he sagged more against his friend, he still struggled and put everything into trying to walk on his own. Despite his worry nagging him that it wasn’t a good idea to allow him to push himself like this, the gunner didn’t have the heart to stop him.

“We’re almost there, just a few more feet,” the blond promised, his own face starting to sheen with sweat from the effort it took to haul both of them. Looking over to Noctis though, it was nothing compared to the moisture covering his. He was also fairly certain his cheeks hadn’t been this bright before either. “Come on, you’re doing good,” he awkwardly encouraged.

At long last, he stepped over the threshold, and not a moment later, the raven seemed to give him, dropping all the strength he had left. He figure it was good enough, so long as they were within the runes, it would be fine. “Hurry up, you two,” Prompto ground out, not knowing what to do. Then, he internally slapped himself. Of course.

He checked all his pockets...empty. Next, he checked Noctis’...and double checked them. Then he checked his again. “Shit,” he swore, “Shit, shit, shit.” His volume increased with each repeat, every one getting more panicked. “Where the hell are they?” He could feel himself quickly slipping into hecticness. This is why he needed Ignis here, he would know exactly what to do and wouldn’t be on the verge of a breakdown.

He jumped as Noctis coughed lightly, the sound slowly getting harsher and his breaths following the example. “Hang on, buddy, I’ll think of something,” he shuddered out, his tone not sounding the least bit confident. He assumed he wasn’t heard anyway though from the lack of any response.

“How is he?” the voice was familiar, but not too different from his own in terms of collection. He tossed his attention over his shoulder to see a panting and concerned looking adviser standing over the two of them.

Prompto looked from one to the other, a few noises coming from his throat, but nothing that formed any sort of word. “I-I dunno,” he admitted as the adviser finally guided him aside to take over.

The man fell into a sort of trance as soon as he crouched down, hands going to work, checking things. One hand was resting on the prince’s forehead while the other was feeling his pulse. A temperature that was way higher than it should have been and a pulse that was way too fast and erratic. “Do we have any antidotes?” he asked, whipping his head around, causing the blond to jump from the startelement of it.

“N-No...I don’t know. I checked my pockets and his, and I didn’t find any,” he replied quickly, so quickly his answer was hard to understand. “I don’t think we have any left, and if we do, I don’t know where they ar-”

“Prom,” the brunet interrupted, “calm yourself.” He glanced over to see Gladio finally coming up. “Start a fire and get some water heating up. First, I want to wash out these wounds; I need to flush out any poison that might still be in them.” He was wasting no time in barking orders, his voice serious and clear. But, on the inside, he could feel himself falling apart.

The other two got to it, never questioning anything; they just followed orders. Gladio got to work on the fire, seeing as he could make one the fastest. While he carried out that task, Prompto instantly set to helping Ignis get Noctis’s shirt off and wipe away any blood or dirt near the puncture wounds. There was no talking. Aside from Ignis’ occasional instruction, there was nothing but silence. Correction, nothing but Noctis’ struggling for breath.

The quiet was getting to him, he needed something. “Is he gonna be alright?” Prompto asked once he was dismissed for the time being. All that they could do now was wait for the water to heat up. “Iggy,” he called, wondering if he had heard him.

“I don’t know,” he snapped back, tongue sharp.

Prompto fell silent again after that and took a seat nearby. Though, he stayed close enough to continue to watch on. His hands wandered to rest on his legs, and his fingers dug into the fabric of his pants. He’d be fine...he had to be, this was Noct they were talking about. He’s had worse, so this was nothing compared to some of the others.

“Is that water ready yet?” Ignis asked impatiently.” The shield mumbled something under his breath, something that sounded like a ‘yeah’, and the pot was hauled over, rag already floating along its surface. The brunet stuck a finger in to test and make sure it wasn’t too hot, Satisfied, he grabbed the cloth and wrung it out over the raven’s back. “Prompto, get a bottle of water and another rag. Do what you can to cool him off,” he insisted, voice finally calmed down a little.

Nodding, the gunner jumped up, eager to step in and help in any way he could, even if it was the small jobs like this, To him, any amount of help made a difference in a situation such as this. He poured a generous amount of it over the rag and only shook the excess off before he pressed it against the raven’s face.

Despite his lack of reaction since all this went down, this was finally something he seemed to notice. The movement was instantaneous as he pressed into the material, desperate for some relief from the fire he had been thrust into. “Feel nice?” Prompto asked, a ghost of a smile on his face at having seen some sort of life in him.

He didn’t get an answer, not that he was expecting one, but deep down he wished for at least a single word. For now, he’d be happy with the fact that he could feel things. Though, that thankfulness faded when the relieved expression twisted into one of pure discomfort.

The prince groaned and twisted, supposedly to get away from the pain that was flaring up on his back. “Try to stay still,” Ignis asked, gently, “I need to get this clean. I’ll try to get it done as quickly as I can, but in order for me to do that, you need to stay calm.”

His words weren’t heard though, and if anything, he just put up more of a fight. “Prompto, keep him still,” the adviser ordered, never taking his attention away from his task. He didn’t have much more to do.

“Hey,” the gunner again tried to get his focus on him. “Noct, you can hear me, right?” Still nothing. With that in mind, he went back to applying cool water to his face in hopes that the sensation from that would pull him back in. It took a few tries, but eventually, it started to work. “That’s it, just try to block the other stuff out.” He still wasn’t sure if he was listening, all he knew was talking was helping himself to stay composed.

“And done,” the adviser sighed, dropping the rag into the now tainted pot and shoved it all aside. “Gladio, can you get a place set up for him to rest now? I don’t want to leave him on the ground.” In retrospect, it was probably something they should have already done, but in his panic quite a few things were forgotten. He didn’t bother worrying about the tent, from the looks of things, none of them were planning on getting any sleep that night.

Without a word, the shield carried out his order, setting something that looked to be soft and comfortable enough for him. “This good enough?” he asked, stepping over to assist in moving the raven should they need the help.

“That’ll do,” Ignis replied. They didn’t really have the right to be picky at a time like this. “Help me move him over.” Gladio nodded and took it upon himself to do all the lifting.

“What do we do now?” the brute asked once he was situated.

“One thing we can do,” the brunet sighed, “we wait.” With that, he sat next to his charge and rested his gaze upon him, almost as if he were afraid to take it away. He periodically checked the prince’s fever, noting that he was barely changing. On one hand, he was thankful for it not rising, but on the other, the fact that he hadn’t dropped by a single degree heavily concerned him.

The other two found their own little things to do in this time: Gladio fell into a sort of pace, walking in circles along the outskirts of the haven, and Prompto sitting by the fire, staring vacantly into its licking flames. Both of them wondering what the hell went wrong, everything happened so fast, and none of them saw it coming. But, no matter how much they felt the gravity of the incident, it was Ignis who pondered what he could have done the most.

If he had seen it coming, then Noctis wouldn’t have had to step in. But no, he had to be saved...saved by the man _he _swore to protect. This was all backwards. He chewed on the inside of his cheek, his teeth threatening to break through the skin at any moment. They didn’t let up until he tasted a foul and coppery flavor in his mouth, and he quickly realized that his lip was bleeding now.

Blowing out a heavy breath, he dropped his head forward and ruffled his hands through his hair, successfully disrupting its usual style. “Dammit, Noct,” he muttered. The others glanced in his direction, but neither of them commented on how he was slowly unraveling, both aware of how he’d react to it.

Then, a cough. A pained one, but a cough nonetheless. “Noct?” he asked, letting his hope get the better of him. “Noct? Are you there?” he leaned over the man, one hand already cupping his cheek and turning his head to face him.

“Ig-gy?” he croaked, throat dry and on fire. He coughed a couple more times, wincing with the burning it brought forth. “Sonova…” he slurred, lacking the strength to even support his own head at the moment.

“Yeah, it’s me,” the adviser assured, “just try and get some rest, alright?” He didn’t have to repeat himself before the raven was out cold once again. This time, the brunet’s chest felt a little lighter and his head a little less clouded.

He looked to the others, who both had their full attention on them, but both stayed where they were, trying to at least respect Noct’s space. “I think he'll be fine,” he finally filled them in. The fact that he regained consciousness and recognized them was more than he could have hoped for.

The others let out a breath in unison, and they were both convinced that was the best news they had ever heard in their life. Though, they weren’t relaxed just yet, Noctis still appeared to be in poor condition, but at least there was a light at the end of the tunnel.

* * *

Everything hurt, everything was on fire, and everything hurt. Why the hell did everything suck so bad? Oh yeah, he remembered quickly the cause of all this displeasure. His throat was the worst though, it felt as if he had swallowed sandpaper, but..he didn’t remember doing that. He tried to take a deep breath, but it caught in his chest, causing him to cough harshly, which in turn made his throat burn even more ferociously.

Next thing Noctis knew, there was something cool and damp pressing against his cheek. And astrals, did it feel nice. “-oct?” he heard, but it was muffled, that ir it sounded like it was so far away. Then, there was a hand on the side of his face, and he tried to swat it away, He just wanted it to leave him alone so he could go back to sleep already. Of course, he wasn’t permitted that luxury; the hand was back, and this time it was tapping, trying to get a rile out of him.

“Wha’da wan’?” he mumbled, tightening his eyes more and trying to turn away from it, but the hand was stronger and prevented him from doing so.

“Noct?” he heard again, closer and more clear this time. “I know you can hear me, I just need to to open your eyes.” He recognized the voice, and could put the face with it no problem. What he was wondering though, was what the hell he wanted.

Groaning, he cracked one eye open, and instantly had to close it back. Damn, it was bright, way brighter than he remembered it being. “Wha, Iggy?” he asked, letting his irritation shine through his groggy voice.

“I need to know how you’re feeling?” Why did he sound so worried, he was awake, wasn’t he?

Licking dry lips, the raven twitched the corner of his mouth. “Like shit,” he answered honestly. “Anythin’ else?” Even in this state, he could feel the annoyance radiating from his adviser.

“That’s not specific enough,” the brunet pressed. “Tell me what feels wrong. Does anything hurt?”

“Everythin’” he replied instantly, the answer ready before the question could be asked. He heard a hum of discontent at that. “Why’s it so hot?” he asked, cracking his eye open again, this time being able to keep it open for a while longer. Ignis’ face he could barely make out, it was blurred and obscured, But the others, he knew who they were, mostly because they could only be them, but they were a bit tougher to discern.

“Prompto, get another bottle of water. Noct, do you think you can drink anything? Even if you can’t, do you think you can at least try?”

“Doesn’t soun’ like I ‘ave much choice,” he sounded out. If he were only able to roll his eyes…

Nodding, Ignis reached out for the bottle, and as carefully as he could, lifted the raven to sit up. “Alright, drink slowly, just a few sips at a time,” he instructed, making sure he was understood before pressing the mouth of the bottle to his lips. Surprisingly, Noctis obeyed...that is until he felt how nice it felt against his sore throat. “I said slowly,” he repeated, with authority.

The prince glared at the man, but obliged. Once he had enough, he jerked his head away and Ignis slowly lowered him back down. “Wha’ happened?” he asked, genuinely sounding confused. For a moment, no one answered him, and his brow lowered at this. “What is this, a funeral?” he joked.

“You were poisoned...still are,” Ignis finally breathed out.

“Oh,” he said nonchalantly and tried to wave a dismissive hand, but it ended up flopping at his side, “is that all?”

Ignis wasn’t sure what it was, but he felt something snap inside. “‘Is that all?’” he repeated, his rage building. “Do you not understand the gravity of what happened? You could have died!” His teeth were grit, and it took everything he had not to yell at the guy. “Who do you think you are putting yourself in harm’s way? You are the heir, you can’t be tossing your life around so recklessly like that!”

“Why, so you would have been hit instead?” he snapped back, giving it all he could to push himself up even if just a little bit.

“Yes,” Ignis replied easily. “Because that’s my job,” he reminded. “ _We _are here to protect _you, _not the other way around. Think before you behave so foolishly.” His breaths were coming out quickly and shallowly. “I won’t have you throwing your life away for my sake,” he ended on, shooting up to his feet and stalking away before Noctis could even think of a way to reply to that.

But, he did grit his teeth and let out a frustrated growl. “Ignore him,” Gladio sighed. “You know he was just worried, right? He didn’t leave your side once last night, and the first thing you do when you wake up, and act as though it was nothing. I imagine that doesn’t sit well.”

“Yeah,” Prompto stepped over and crouched down, “for a while there, I thought he might lose it” He laughed nervously, but there was a lot of truth to his tone. “I’m sure he appreciates it though,” he glanced over his shoulder at a sulking adviser.

Noctis let himself fall back against the covers, which he just now realized were absolutely soaked. Was all that sweat? “I know,” he closed his eyes. “Can you tell him to come back over here before I fire him?” he teased, grinning up at the others.

“Sure thing,” his shield nodded. It didn’t take long for the man to return, his arms folded, but his face still held a sense of compassion to it. No matter how hard he tried, there was no covering that up.

“Hey,” Noct started. “Look, I know you’re pissed, but will you listen for a moment?” He didn’t say a word, so the raven took that as a queue to continue. “I’ll be honest, I didn’t act on purpose...it just kind of happened. I can’t explain it, but I guess I was afraid of losing anyone else?” he guessed, for a lack of better words. Looking around to the others, feeling so composed all of a sudden, he added, “I guess it’s because...you guys are all I have now.” Why did this feel so weird coming out? It sounded fine in his head, but out loud…

“I’m not mad,” Ignis cut in. “Just...concerned is all. I thought something might have happened,” he revealed, putting his thoughts from the night out there. “You got bad there for a while, and I feared the worse. And when the person you’re supposed to protect is dying in front of you, and you can do nothing about it… Let’s just say it leaves a foul taste.”

Now it made sense. “Right,” Noctis sighed. “Guess it really was a stupid move,” he offered. “But, still glad it was me and not you. If it were you, you’d be dead,” he joked. Seeing the man about to protest, most likely due to offence, the prince jumped back in. “Unlike the rest of us, you know how to take care of things. Can you see us trying to handle this ourselves?” He noticed the way Prompto reddened and looked away, but chose not to draw attention to it.

“You do have a point there, I suppose,” he agreed, letting the raven have that one. “Still, if you even think of pulling something like that again, I’ll kill you myself.”

“Can’t make any promises,” Noctis half-shrugged with a cheeky grin on his face.

Ignis returned the expression, albeit a more softer one and blinked a few times. “And, Noct? Thanks.”

“Don’t mention it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uhhhhhh, so I think Imma stop taking requests until I can cut this list down a tad. XD Sorry, but it got pretty long, so just need some time to get a few done before opening it back up to new ones. But, if you have questions or anything, you can reach me on Tumblr as well.
> 
> And, I'm sorry and hate to do this, but from now on, I will message people before I do your story, and if I don't get a reply, it will be skipped until I hear from you again. Only reason I feel the need to do this is because multiple times, I have written a request, and the person would never show up again. And, honestly, these take time, and if the person that asked doesn't stick around, then I don't want to take the time to do it.
> 
> Queue as of now:
> 
> ~laurelilith (I think this user no longer exists, so it has been skipped)  
mabver321  
MasterThiefWolf  
the lazy one  
Crystal  
Ann  
'Anonymous4'  
Robin  
Luna the Wolf Mage  
FredrikssonT  
MsChievous  
NicoleBL


	28. In Darkness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With the weight of Noctis being taken away and the days fading out, stress finally catches up to the guys, especially Ignis.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta read by: Sinikka_von_Wolperting
> 
> Request for: mabver321

It’s been a week...seven days since the events at Zegnautus Keep took place; and, a week since Noctis had been snatched away without warning. To put it lightly, the remainder of the group hadn’t been in high spirits since, which goes without saying. But, here they were, none of them with even the slightest idea of what to do from here on out. What was there to do? Noctis was gone and the darkness was slowly taking over; the days could hardly be called days anymore with how short they had become. They had been reduced to nothing more than reminders of what they were about to lose.

All three of them had fallen into their own bubbles, secluding themselves from the rest in order to deal with the tragedy in their own way. Not physically, but it was clear they weren’t as close as they had been before. The other two jumped at the sound of a book slamming shut, that having been the most sound produced in the last few days. With a grunt, the shield stood up, avoiding looking to either of the other two. “I’m heading out,” he mumbled, almost like a reflex.

Prompto only hummed, lacking any real interest in the matter. “When do you think you’ll be back?” Ignis asked, the only one that at least still tried to keep things from sinking too far. Though, his efforts had been mostly in vain.

“Who knows,” the brute shrugged, waving a hand and heading towards the door. “I just need to get out,” he added before slinking away, carefully closing up behind himself with a soft ‘click’.

The blond kept his gaze on his hands as he fiddled with one of his guns. He wasn’t doing anything with it, it didn’t need cleaning or any other maintenance, but it was reassuring in a sense. “I know I asked this before….but,” he took a deep breath, already knowing the answer before the second part left his lips, “what are we supposed to do?”

“I hate to say it, though I still do not know,” the brunet breathed out, seeming to be at a loss himself. “Things are getting worse. I may not be able to see it, but I can feel it; the warmth of the sun is fading with each passing day.” He blew out heavily, his hand reaching up to readjust his glasses, fingers brushing the rough skin underneath.

The gunner winced at the sight of it, and he couldn’t help but wonder how much that old wound was bothering him. Despite what he’s told them about it, he knew the truth. That being that he wasn’t as alright with it as he tried to convince them. “Before long, there won’t be any left,” he chuckled lightly, the sound coming off eerily with the absence of humor in it. “But, I guess that isn’t news.”

“Indeed,” the adviser turned his head on the other’s general direction, “and there’s not a thing we can do about any of it.” Clearing his throat, the older man got to his feet, standing there for just a moment to make sure he had his bearings. “What time is it?” he asked, dipping his face downwards to make sure he was no longer looking to the blond.

Chewing on his lip, Prompto glanced at his phone screen. “About ten,” he relayed, stuffing the device back in his pocket and leaning back in his chair. “Sure doesn’t feel like it though.”

Ignis merely hummed, ignoring that second part. To him, time in general just felt like a nuisance now. Nothing more than a headache; something that was tedious and useless to keep up with. “I think I’m going to call it a night,” he said lowly, grabbing his stack and tapping forward with it. All Prompto could do was watch on as the man slowly made it to one of the beds. It wasn’t a long distance, but it still pained him the way he still struggled with something as simple as that.

“You need anything?” the gunner asked, getting the offer out before he was able to bite his tongue. Even though it was a genuine question, it was obvious Ignis was growing tired of the constant coddling from the others. Not that he could blame him.

“I’m quite alright,” he promised, tone tight from him holding back a few things he’d rather say. But, they wouldn’t help anyone or anything, so he held them back. Feeling the gunner’s eyes stay on him, he climbed into bed, haphazardly working the covers over him and did his best to get in a comfortable position.

Prompto still just stood back, letting the other do this for himself, even though he wanted nothing more than to step in and help out. His hands tightened slightly and he found himself chewing on his lip again. Closing his eyes to rid them of the spectacle, he relaxed against the back of the chair and let himself sink down a bit. Things seemed like hell now, and he knew they were only going to get worse from here, but there was that inkling of hope that prevented him from giving up completely.

As far as they were concerned, Noctis was still alive, they could still feel his presence. And, so long as he was still there, it wasn’t completely hopeless. He let a ghost of a smile grace his features at the thought of that. With that in mind, he finally dismissed his pistol, watching until the last of the bright shards dissipated. Now there was nothing to focus on, nothing but the steady breathing of the adviser, who was surprisingly asleep already.

‘Weird,’ Prompto thought, it took nowhere near as long as it normally took him. Any other time, he would be the last asleep and the first awake. Maybe all the lack of sleep he was getting was finally catching up to him. It was for the best though, now he could actually get some proper sleep for one, or he prayed that he could.

Then there was something else that seemed off to him. It was only for a split second, but there was no mistaking it. He was certain the adviser let out a slight cough. Though it was nothing overly concerning, it seemed foreign for the likes of him. Eyes narrowed, and pushing himself up after he picked up on another, Prompto silently made his way over. His steps light and well-placed to create as little sound as possible. When he approached the older man, he crouched down next to the bed and glanced him over. Nothing looked out of place, nothing other than his subtly drawn expression. He looked almost uncomfortable.

The blond jolted, drawing back instantly as the brunet turned over without warning, his back now facing him. “Hmm,” he hummed, standing back straight. Perhaps he was making a bigger deal out of things than he needed to. But, that little voice nagging at the back of his head refused to back down.

This internal concern of is prevented him from relaxing anymore, and he resorted to moving to the kitchen instead. There, he now sat at the table, a warm cup of leftover coffee between his hands. Not a sip of it had been consumed though, instead he stared into the contents of it. His dirtied reflection stared back, and he let out a small and startled gasp as another face joined his.

“Calm down,” came Gladio’s gruff and tired voice, his heavy hand resting on the younger man’s shoulder.

“S-Sorry,” he sheepishly apologized, feeling somewhat embarrassed, “I guess I didn’t hear you come in.” Exhaling through his nose, his eyes wandered towards the other room, and the shield could see the unspoken worry written all over his face.

The ambers followed his gaze, then looked back over to the blond. Curiosity gripping him, he pulled out the chair across from him and took a seat in it. “What’s botherin’ ya?” he asked, expecting it to be the usual: concern for the prince, or fear of what was happening. The normal things that plagued all of them these days.

Unsure how to put it into words, Prompto glanced to the table. “It’s Ignis,” he whispered, afraid the man would hear him in his sleep.

“What about him?” he pressed, sounding more serious now. This was a new one for them, and it caught him a bit off guard.

“Just...does something feel off about him?” he met the other’s eyes, his own shining with just how troubled he really was about this whole thing. “I mean besides, you know. I don’t know, it’s probably nothing, but he just seems more, I guess standoff-ish, than usual.” His chest tightened now that it was all out there, and he wasn’t sure how the other would receive this. Would he get mad? It wasn’t really their business.

Folding his arms, Gladio thought about it for a moment. He hadn’t really noticed anything, then again, he hadn’t really been paying as much attention to anyone as he did before. They were all acting weird, so this was a tough one to consider. “You have more than that? That doesn’t give me much.”

Prompto opened his mouth to try and better explain himself, but the series of coughs that came next was more than enough for them both to understand. The sounds of two chairs sliding back echoed back to them, and their previous delicacy when it came to remaining quiet was out the window. They swiftly entered the other room, and there was Ignis, still on his side and still facing the way Prompto had left him.

This time, Gladio took the lead and inched closer. With the way the brunet was positioned, he had to climb onto the bed in order to get a good view of his face. Before he even got close enough, he could easily make out the pain and discomfort that marred his expression. Going into full-on protective mode, for the first time in days, he placed his hand on the side of the man’s cheek and turned his head to face him. Even with this simple motion, he could feel the heat coming off him. Not to mention the stickiness on his skin from fresh sweat.

“Prom,” he called, never looking away from Ignis, tone low and anxious, “get a bowl of cool water and a rag.” He heard the steps distance themselves, the noises of him carrying out the task bouncing back. The fact that none of this was rousing the man caused for quite a bit of concern. It usually didn’t take much to wake him. Hell, when he climbed up on the bed he should have at least shifted or something.

“Here,” the blond muttered, handing the things over.

Gladio mumbled a small thanks in return and got to soaking the rag before wringing it out and doing a quick wipe-down of his face, ridding it of all ickiness. “Dammit, Iggy,” he whispered, dipping the cloth again. This time, he placed it on the man’s forehead and sat the bowl aside for the time being.

Meanwhile, the blond stood off to the side, his heart thrumming in his chest and fingers playing with the bottom of his shirt. “Is he alright?” he asked after a few moments, his nerves starting to get to him. He couldn’t remember ever seeing the man sick, other than when he was first injured, but that was different. At the time it was understandable and to be expected. But, this was out of nowhere.

“He has a bit of a fever,” Gladio answered, straightforwardly. “It’s not too bad at the moment, but it came on pretty fast.” That’s the part that really scared him, not the fact that he was sick. Sick, he could deal with, but fevers that popped up out of the blue… Unless he wasn’t feeling well before and just never told anyone. Which was likely, the guy would wait until he was on death’s doorstep before telling a soul that something was wrong. That pride really would be the end of him one day. “He’ll be fine,” he said, not knowing if that was really true or not.

The gunner accepted it though, which was good enough. The last thing they needed was anyone panicking about this. Prompto nodded, his attention perking up before he could finish the movement and glanced over to the brunet, who was finally showing some sort of sign of being aware.

It wasn’t much, but he was mumbling, quietly and clearly in distress. His one clouded over eye searched the room, never settling on anything as it darted around, unseeing in its search. His breath quickened and his chest rose and fell with his growing anxiety.“Iggy, settle down, everything's alright.”

“We’re right here,” Prompto jumped in, almost forgetting he couldn’t see them. No wonder he was getting so worked up.

The adviser set him with a look that spoke volumes of how wrong he really was. “No it’s’not,” he slurred, trying to look around the brute. “Where...Where is ‘e?” he asked, continuing to search fruitlessly. His tone was laced with accusation and fear. “Where’s Noct?”

Neither knew how to answer that. Should they tell the truth, lie? Which was better in this situation. If they told the truth, they’d risk just upsetting him even more. Gladio cleared his throat and looked to Prompto, telling him through eye contact not to say a single word. “He’s...not here at the moment, but he’ll be back later,” he lied, his insides freezing over at the blatant lie. It didn't feel right, even if it was for the best.

“Where?” Ignis asked again, never getting the answer he wanted in the first place. “Where did’e go?” and again, he was back to trying to sit up. His weak attempts were falling short though, and it only took a single hand and no effort on Gladio’s part to keep him from doing so.

Just from witnessing this, Prompto had to turn away, his hands going to intertwine behind his head as he turned on his heel. He knew that id didn’t matter if he showed any emotion, it didn’t matter if anything he was thinking was on full display, but there was something in him that urged him to turn away. Perhaps it was his conscious not wanting to see Ignis like that, that was the only reasoning he could come up with.

“He went out to take care of some stuff,” Gladio answered vaguely, feeling worse and worse the longer this went on. “Like I said, he’s coming back, so just stay there.” His hand moved to his chest where it stayed. His other reached for the rag which had been tossed aside by this point.

Ignis was getting frustrated now, giving all he could to sit up, which wasn’t much. “Then why is no one with him?” he asked, his anger at the raven being left alone thrown at there without regard. “Something could happen,” he nearly growled, his voice gruff from him still fighting against the other. “Gladio…” he warned.

“I already told you, stay still, he’s coming back,” he wasn’t harsh, but his word was final. “Iggy, you’re sick, ok? So, lie back down,” he encouraged, dipping the rag and replacing it on his head. “Try and get some sleep if you can, maybe he’ll be back when you wake up again.”

The adviser let out a few more huffs, but came to terms with not getting his way this time. Lying back down, his vacant gaze still wandered, and if it were possible, it was even more fogged. “It’s already this far into the darkness, huh?” he asked, rhetorically, lifting his hand to wave it in front of his face. “Can’t see a thing anymore. You know, when they said the days would cease to exist, I didn't know this is what they meant…”

Prompto was at the other side of the hotel room by now, pacing in an attempt to keep himself a little bit busy, doing anything he could to keep from losing it.

“Well, no one knew for sure,” Gladio replied, playing along. “It was all stories after all, so who could have said for sure what it would have been like. But, yeah, this is a lot darker than we expected.”

Ignis just hummed, his wondering eye finally coming to a stop to stare towards the ceiling. He was starting to struggle with keeping it open, and his body was feeling incredibly heavy. And strength he did have had been sapped from his earlier attempts of getting up. “Hopefully it won’t last,” he whispered, releasing a couple more coughs and letting his eyes slide back closed. There was a few more seconds of his labored and uneven breathing before it soon smoothed out. It was still faster and more shallow than it should have been, but at least there was a pattern to it.

The gunner’s pacing came to a halt as silence again filled their room, and he let out a shaky and relieved breath. “Is he asleep?” he asked, voice tight. He got a hum as a reply and his shoulders sagged with the answer. Feeling a tad more composed, but not much, he looked back over to them and saw the steady rise and fall of his chest. “Was that really alright?” he questioned, not needing to specify.

“It was probably for the best,” Gladio affirmed. “Unless you wanted to tell him the truth.” Prompto paled at the idea of such a thing. “I didn’t think so, this was better for everyone.” Given the adviser one more look over, he eased himself off the bed and stretched his arms over his head. “I’m going to get a shower, keep an eye on him in the meantime.” He watched the blond look uncertainly over to Ignis. “And, no matter what, do not tell him the truth...about anything.” He was completely serious, the insinuation in his voice near frightening.

Nodding, he uttered an “Understand,” and went to sit in one of the nearby seats. It wasn’t long before he heard the water running and the sound of the adviser’s breathing. The two sounds mixed was almost hypnotizing, and he closed his eyes. As long as he couldn’t see anything, nothing seemed out of place. He almost expected to hear a third noise at any moment, but he knew he wouldn’t. Sighing, he pried his blues back open and looked back to Ignis, who hadn’t moved an inch since falling back asleep.

Things would work out, wouldn’t they? ‘Hopefully, they won’t last,’ he repeated to himself, rubbing a hand down his face and leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees. “Hopefully,” he whispered aloud.

* * *

It seemed like an eternity, but morning was finally arriving, or it should have, if morning was still a thing. The both of them sat there, the only source of light being from the artificial sources. Without the rays from the morning sun, it still felt like midnight, like time had just stopped. Without their phones, there’d be no way of even knowing what day it was anymore. Let alone the time.

Gladio was back to reading his book, finding nothing else he could do to occupy the wait. There wasn’t really anything he could do until Ignis woke up again and filled him in on how he felt, or if he was still out of it. And, he may have been reading the words on the pages, but none of it was sticking, instead his mind was filled with the memories of the previous night. How could he focus on anything else after that?

The other, like the adviser, he had hardly moved a muscle since he sat in that chair. He kept a watchful eye on the man, making sure not to miss a thing should anything happen. “You know you don’t have to stare at him,” Gladio spoke up, watching him out of the corner of his eyes. “If he wakes up, I’m pretty sure we’ll know.”

“I know,” Prompto replied curtly, but remaining how he was. Gladio had already replaced the rag twice during the night, and cleaned his face off a few more than that. And, although he hadn’t improved a whole lot, he didn’t seem quite as warm as he had that first time. It may have been lower by now, but he hadn’t checked in the last hour.

“About last night,” he went on, honestly needing some sort of conversation to be going on. Not normally one for a lot of talking, this was a bit odd to the both of them. “Don’t worry about it, fevers can do that. I’m sure you’re aware of that though.”

“Yeah.”

Gladio glanced over and set his book aside. “And, that combined with...not being able to see things. Well, I guess it could have been a lot worse,” he shrugged, wanting to look on the bright side of things.

“Hard to get worse than forgetting you’re blind,” the blond scoffed.

Biting back a remark, the shield shifted. “Maybe, but he could have become violent. Unaware of your surroundings and being held down, I’m sure that doesn’t sit well, especially when the mind is already on high alert.”

Prompto hesitated before responding, mulling it over. “I guess,” he sighed. That was probably as close as he was going to get when it came to agreeing with the brute. “Just wish this all would hurry up and be over,” he uttered, making it clear that he didn’t want to talk about it any more. So, Gladio gave him that, he wouldn’t press things.

Another hour or so passed in silence, the sky outside just barely lit up. Not enough to be considered noon, looking more like it was early morning or late at night. And, that was probably as bright as it would get that day. They watched that for some time, wanting to see what little they could for as long as they were able. It wouldn’t be long before it would become nothing more than a distant memory.

With their attention locked on something else, they were unaware to the sliver of milky white that finally made a reappearance. It drifted over and gazed in their general direction. Even though he couldn’t spot them, he could sense them. Unwarranted, a light groan sounded out as the discomforts from lying in the same position for so long bore down on him. That, and he didn’t know if he was hot or cold, both sensations seemed to take turns coursing through him.

At the pained sound, they swiveled their heads, noticing instantly the single open eye that tried to make sense of things. “Iggy?” Gladio called out, relieved to see the man turn his head in their direction.

“Gladio…” he answered, wincing as the movement cause a stabbing pain to greet his head.

Immediately heading over to change the rag out and clean him off again, Gladio first checked his forehead again. He let out a soft hum when he noticed it was finally letting up. “How’re ya feeling?” he asked, wringing the rag out.

Ignis had to blink a few times to consider it. “To tell the truth...tired,” he croaked, throat dry. Without needing to be told, Prompto was already off to fetch a bit of water. “What time is it?”

“I don’t know, maybe around one,” Gladio answered. “In the afternoon,” he clarified.

“Oh...slept longer than I wanted,” he half joked. He grunted, wincing as he tried to sit up, but again, he was prevented from doing so. “Honestly…” he said in exasperation, “I’ve been lying like this for too long. I need to move.”

Gladio kept his hands on him. “That’s all fine and all, but I’m going to help you, and you’re not getting out of bed,” he declared, taking charge in the matter this time. At the time, the gunner returned, bottle of water in hand and held it out for the shield to take. “I know you have to be dying of thirst,” he muttered to himself, unscrewing the cap. With how soaked that sheets were, it was a wonder he was as lucid as he was.

Ignis just nodded, not having the energy to try and argue things. Whatever he had to do in order to be able to switch positions, he’d do it. Trying to go against things would only make this take longer. Slowly, and much to his annoyance, Gladio helped him take a few greedy sips. He didn’t realize how dehydrated he was until that initial taste. “Thanks,” he whispered once the water was pulled away, the shield deciding that was enough for the time being.

“Ok, let’s get you moved and you can go back to sleep,” he promised, hoping he wasn’t treating the man too much like a child. Even if he was though, that didn’t really matter right now. All that mattered to him was getting the man better as soon as possible. In times like these, you couldn’t afford to be out of commission for long.

“Right,” Ignis softly acknowledged, sitting up with the assistance of the other. Together, they worked him over to his other side, and already he was loads more comfortable. The cloth back in place, and his head propped up slightly, he felt as though he could go back to sleep and stay there for an eternity.

He blew out a heavy breath and relaxed against the bed. “Don’t let me sleep too long this time,” he said, the corner of his mouth tugging up with the humor of it.

“Yeah, sure,” Gladio rolled his eyes. “Just, take it easy, we’re going to be here for a bit longer anyway, so no need to try and rush getting better.”

“What he said,” Prompto agreed. “Try not to overdo it, and take all the time you need. It’s not like we have anything to do anyway, so a bit of downtime might do wonders,” he said, adding a bit of his usual touch in his words. That wasn’t true, of course, more time the spent here, the more they’d be left to their thoughts, but if that’s what it took for the man to finally take care of himself, then it was worth it.

Ignis never replied though, his eye closed again and his breath evened out. He was gone, lost to the world, not even able to carry on a full conversation. “Guess you took too long,” Gladio teased, chuckling softly.

“It’s a talent of mine, what can I say,” Prompto breathed out, dropping back into his chair. “So, wanna watch the sunset with me?” he asked, nodding to the already dimming sky.

“Sure, why not,” the shield returned to his seat, and together, they watched as they were once again thrust into darkness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, I just want to knock a few more off before I start accepting more. But, soon enough, requests will be open once more. :D
> 
> And, I'm sorry and hate to do this, but from now on, I will message people before I do your story, and if I don't get a reply, it will be skipped until I hear from you again. Only reason I feel the need to do this is because multiple times, I have written a request, and the person would never show up again. And, honestly, these take time, and if the person that asked doesn't stick around, then I don't want to take the time to do it.
> 
> Queue as of now:
> 
> ~laurelilith (I think this user no longer exists, so it has been skipped)  
MasterThiefWolf  
the lazy one  
Crystal  
Ann  
'Anonymous4'  
Robin  
Luna the Wolf Mage  
FredrikssonT  
MsChievous  
NicoleBL


	29. In Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> On the search for another tomb, the guys run into a bit of an obstacle. One that proves to be rather dangerous, especially for Noctis.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta read by: Sinikka_von_Wolperting
> 
> Request for: MasterThiefWolf

“So that’s it, huh?” Noctis thought aloud as he stared off at the foreign looking structure in the distance. He held his hand to block the sun to try and get a better view of the tomb. “Gotta say, this one looks a bit more on the...down side.”

The adviser raised an eyebrow and looked out over the horizon. Yeah, the structure was starting to become overrun with foliage. But, compared to some, it was in rather good condition considering. “It’s been here for quite a while, surely you didn’t expect it to be pristine,” he unfolded his arms to stroll forward and ahead of the group. “I suggest we keep moving before night comes, the day is already running out.”

“Can’t we just find a place to set up and go the rest of the way tomorrow?” Prompto complained from the back, swiping the back of his hand across his forehead. “We’ve been walking for hours.”

The blond nearly toppled over as a heavy hand fell onto his shoulder. “Quit yer bitchin’ and get a move on,” Gladio sighed, yet humorously. “As long as you keep it up and stop whinin’, we’ll be there in no time.

Breathing out in exaggeration, the other shuffled out from under the touch and did as he was told. “Fine, guess I don’t have a choice. But, when I die, just know who’s fault it is.”

The shield was right behind him, shaking his head as he moved. The two of them joined the others who were only a few feet ahead and stopped to stand behind them. “How long do you think it’ll take to get to it?” he asked, trying to mentally wage the distance, but the glaring rays of the sun were throwing him off. “Few miles or so? That sound about right?”

“If I had to guess, I’d say so,” Ignis replied, waving them along. “We better not waste more time though.” He didn’t wait for any replies before walking on, assuming the rest of them would be close behind. “There should be a haven nearby, so it won’t take long to get there once we get what we came for,” he assured, answering the concern he knew to be on everyone's minds.

The rest of the way went by in silence, the four of them honestly just trying to hurry up and get this over with. The closer they got, the more uneasy they became with the surrounding area becoming more clear. The place was almost covered with plants. From a distance, it looked to be just the tomb, but up close, that clearly wasn’t the case at all. With how much their speed was hindered, it’d be a miracle to get through this stuff at all.

“Can’t we just cut it away?” Noctis grunted, shoving a few more leaves to the side, only to let them go and cause them to smack against someone behind him. A startled ‘Hey!’ sounded out with the smack.

“No one is stopping you,” Gladio breathed out, having the same thought on his mind. It was one thing to wade your way through plants, but this was on another whole level. “But, if you’re gonna do it, don’t go overboa… nevermind.” He rolled his eyes as leaves and vines rained down from all around. “So much for respecting nature.”

Rolling his eyes, the prince dismissed his weapon. “It worked, didn’t it?”

“More or less,” the brunet muttered under his breath. But, at least they could get this over with now. With how much they were held back, he was pretty sure there was no luck of getting out of here before nightfall. “At least it can grow back,” he shrugged, pushing forward.

Noctis took the lead for the last few yards, shoving aside what there was left of the obstacles. And, before they knew it, they were in, all of them letting out a sigh of relief. Prompto took to sliding down one of the walls and going on about how he thought they’d never make it through while the rest stepped forward to the royal arm.

“Alright, do your thing,” Gladio urged, folding his arms and turning to the entrance to make sure nothing else came through. Keeping a close eye on the outside, he narrowed his eyes as the leaves shuffled, but at the same time he felt a breeze, so he brushed it off as nothing but the wind. “Noct, what’s takin’ ya?”

“Shuddup, I’m going,” he called back, scoffing under his breath and stepping closer to the alter. Satisfied, the shield focused back on the outside, and something was starting to feel off, the hairs on the back of his neck standing on end. But, from the looks of it, no one else seemed to notice anything amiss. About to step closer to investigate, a bright hue filled the room, temporarily blinding all of them. “Ok, we can go now,” came the raven’s soft voice.

Nodding, it was Gladio who exited first, wanting to be the first out should anything be lurking. By now, the rest could see just how cautious he was being, and it quickly put the three of them on edge. “Is something up?” Ignis asked, taking the larger man’s hesitance seriously.

He didn’t answer right away, but the way he looked around said it all. “I’m not sure. I just don’t trust this place,” he answered honestly.

“Well, that’s just what I wanted to hear,” Prompto groaned, looking around for himself, jumping at the slightest movement. “You don’t suppose it’s something friendly, do you?” he asked hopefully.

“Wouldn’t count on it,” Noctis answered. “Is our luck ever that good?” the blond seemed to groan louder with the truth of that statement. “Should we just go for it? We can’t stay in here,” he shrugged.

Gladio nodded, “Yeah, but let me go first.” It was obvious the other wasn’t fond of this, but he agreed to it nonetheless. He stayed back, waiting until the brute could make it a couple of yards in before slowly going after him. They weren’t sure if it were just them, or the eeriness of the situation, but it was unnaturally quiet, and every noise they heard came across as something stalking them.

Within a couple of minutes, they all had weapons drawn, refusing to be caught off guard. It was a little ridiculous, and they knew they must have appeared to be paranoid, but it was better safe than sorry. Gladio was still in the lead, Ignis right behind him, then Noctis, and Prompto took up the back. No matter where they were, none of them felt particularly safe though.

However, the longer they went on for, the more noises and shuffles the could make out; it sounded as though they were coming from all directions now, and they were growing more intense. There was nothing to be seen though, it was as if things were moving on their own. Then, “What’s that?” Noctis asked, instantly chopping away more of the foliage that was off to the side.

“What the hell are you doing?” Gladio asked. “We already have a path, we should stick to it,” he growled, not in the mood to put up with the younger man’s reckless behavior. It was a moment too late though, he was already heading off to do his own thing, completely disregarding his own safety. What else was new?

“Dammit,” he uttered, getting ready to go off after him, but a startled gasp from their gunner distracted him.

Prompto let a few shots ring out without warning, and the others spun in the direction just in time to see a couple piles of bones fall to the ground. “T-There’s freaking skeletons!” he exclaimed, pistol shaking in his hands. “Why are there skeletons?”

Ignis grit his teeth at the meaning of this. “We have to catch up with Noct, he has no idea what he’s getting into,” he informed, running after his protégé. A sort of panic welled in the other two at the way the strategist was uncharacteristically on edge. If he was this worked up over a few measly skeletons, then there had to have been something else amiss.

“What’s going on?” Prompto asked, looking to the shield for answers, but one received a confused shake of the head. The larger man waved him along, running after Ignis with his sword at the ready.

They ran for about thirty seconds before the adviser called back, “I think I see something.” It wasn’t much, but he was sure he could see a few flashes of light, most likely from Noctis’ weapons. “Not too much farthe-” he cut himself off, skidding to a halt as quite a few more undead rose from the ground, effectively blocking their way.

“What the hell?” Gladio groaned, charging forward and swinging his blade in a high arc. As he brought it down with its full weight, it managed to take out at least three with one hit.

Prompto watched on in amazement. “Show off,” he chuckled nervously, shooting a couple of bullets at another until it crumbled to the ground. They took out a few more ad realized it wasn’t doing much good. “Where are they coming from?” he asked, voice pitching as he downed another.

“I don’t know, but they’re pissing me off!” Gladio shouted, taking down four more with a horizontal swing. Ignis was next to them, downing quite a few of his own with ease. They were more of a nuisance than a real threat, and it seemed as though they were intentionally getting in the way.

As they continued their fruitless advancement, a pained cry sonded out, one that was all too familiar. “Noct?” the blond uttered, distracted long enough to almost get hit by one of the enemies. But, he snapped out of it soon enough to barely dodge and fire at it. “That was Noct…” he repeated.

“Prom,” Gladio pulled his attention back. “We need you to clear a path, we’ll go on ahead, think you can do that for us?” The blond nodded without a word, his heart racing as worry overtook him in that moment. “Don’t let them get to close if you can help it, and don’t forget to watch your own back!” he reminded, the two oldest running off to come to the aid of the prince. Doing as he was told, the gunner took them out one after another, his skill seemingly getting better with each shot.

“Please be alright,” he muttered, letting more ammo fly.

Gladio was in the lead, slowly drawing closer and the sounds of a fight were finally being made out. And, it wasn’t a pretty one from what he could tell. By the time he was close enough, the raven was on the ground, on his knees and panting as red stained his right arm. “Noct!” he called after him, picking up his pace as the figure before him raised one hand to strike again.

“No!” Gladio’s voice rang out, echoing around them as the attack fell, beads of crimson rising with the action. But, it was too late, he was listing to one side, his form appearing lifeless from where he stood. And, here he was, frozen in place as he watched the man he had sworn to protect crumple to the earth. Something brushed by him, and it took him a second too long to realize it was Ignis. The adviser was at his side, all while Gladio was still stunned, his mouth hanging open in shock.

“Gladio!” the sound of his name yanked him from his trance-like state, and he shook his head before finally charging forward, a new heat running through him. The shield aimed straight for this... _thing _as it hovered around, blood still dripping from its hands. He ignored when one of them glowed a faint purple and slowly brightened. Raising it, it threw something at Gladio, but he managed to step out of the way of, taking that chance to close the gap.

His first swung failed, the blade sinking deep into a flying skull. Flinging it to the side, he tried again, only to hit another. It took a few tries, but eventually the thing ran out of shields, leaving it open enough for him to finally get through. “You son of a bitch,” he seethed, stabbing his greatsword forward and landing the hit. Then another, and he wasn’t sure how many times he did it, but he wasn’t stopping until this guy stopped moving.

Prompto had run up just in time to see all this, his eyes looking from Gladio fighting, to Ignis trying desperately to stop the bleeding on Noctis, and he didn’t know which way to go. But, from what he could see, the brute had his battle under control...maybe too much so.

“How is he?” he asked, breathlessly, dropping to sit next to the adviser and prince. “I-Is he alright?” he questioned, voice shuddering and higher in pitch.

“Just get me a potion,” Ignis instructed, ignoring the questions. “Get me whatever you have, anything will do.”

The blond nodded, his hands flying to his pockets and searching through them, patting through all of them until they came across something at least. “Ah! Here, I have one,” he announced, handing the vial over. “Is that….enough?”

“I don’t know,” Ignis replied, letting his irritation shine through. He didn’t have time to play 20 questions. “It’ll have to do though.” Cramming it into the prince’s limp hand, he forced him to give it a squeeze and watched as he was coated in a green light. The both of them held their breath as the most minor of wounds closed and as the more severe ones only closed marginally. It wasn’t much, but it was at least slowing the bleeding enough to put him more at ease.

The gunner glanced back over at Gladio, who was still wailing on that creep of a thing; the more he swung at it, the more it lost height and fell closer to the ground. He kept this up until it could not long lift itself and eventually ceased its efforts altogether. Even then, he continued his assault on it.

“Gladio?” Prompto asked as he didn’t let up. “Gladio!” he tried again, this time getting the brute to look to him. “It’s dead…” he informed, as if the man didn’t already know that.

Looking surprised, the larger man looked down at the lifeless form. “Oh…” he breathed out. “I guess it is,” his tone was still filled with rage, but he forced himself to step away and leave it. Anymore, and he would have looked like a madman, more than he already had.

“We need to get him out of here,” Ignis spoke up. “Staying here is too dangerous and it’s already night. We should find that haven...and quick,” he pushed himself up to his feet and instructed Gladio to scoop Noctis up. “Be careful,” he breathed out, needlessly, “he’s got quite a few gashes that haven’t been treated yet.” Just saying that tasted foul to him.

The brute picked him up as carefully as he could, getting a light and pained moan from the kid, but he never opened his eyes. And, now that he looked at him, his face was sheened with a thin layer of moisture and his features were twisted in discomfort. “Hang in there,” he whispered, unsure if he could even be heard or not. “We’ll get ya out of this.”

The time seemed to go by a lot slower than it had on the way here, they couldn’t get out of here soon enough. As they traveled, the form in the shield’s arms was starting to shiver, and he couldn’t tell if it was from the cold or the pain. It wasn’t that chilly out here, so he assumed it to be the latter.

“Are we close?” he asked, unconsciously pulling the raven closer to his chest. The feeling of warmth could be felt running down his skin and he inwardly cringed at the knowledge of what that was. He was still losing blood. Maybe not as much as he was, but it was still enough to not sit well with him.

“We should be,” Ignis replied, his response quick and tight. “How is he holding up?”

“As well as he can be?” he sighed, glancing down to take in the pallidness of his features. The paleness of the light the moon was giving off wasn’t helping any either.

From the back, Prompto hasn’t said a word, his hands were held in front of him as he fiddled his thumbs together, his eyes glued to the ground. He never let them get higher than Gladio’s feet, but he could still hear everything just fine: the footsteps of the others, the chirping of nearby insects...the labored breaths. He blew out a shaky breath and sped up a little bit when he felt himself falling behind.

“I see it,” Ignis announced, the relief he felt clear in his tone. “Just a couple more minutes and we’ll be there.”

“A couple more minutes? I doubt it,” Gladio replied, walking faster until he had passed Ignis, forcing the other to to speed up to a near jog in order to keep up.

The adviser gave the man a warning look, “Do try not to jostle him too much if you can help it.” Gladio gave him in return that said he had this under control. Thanks to him, they were there in a matter of less than a minute, and already he was gently placing the raven on the ground. “I’ll get a fire started.”

While he busied himself with that, the brunet got to work on Noctis, stripping away his jacket and shirt to get a better look at the wounds. By the time he had that done, there was a nice and warm light filtering from behind him. Now that he could get a better look at the damage, he was pleased to see that the potion had helped a bit more than he expected. Still not as much as he would have prefered, but it was better than nothing.

“Prompto, get me some water,” Ignis ordered, his voice finally calming down a bit now that they were safe. Most of his concern had drained by now, but he was still a bit on the frazzled side with Noctis still the way he was. And, until the raven woke up, he would probably stay like that.

The blond did as he was told without complaint. He rummaged through their bags and procured a few bottles, taking all of them to the man. “Is this enough?” He was given a nod, and nothing else was asked of him. So, he watched on as his friend's wounds were cleaned to the best of the man’s abilities. He then requested the first aid kit, which was offered up within seconds.

Ignis gave him another automated thanks and got back to work, patching the prince up until he was satisfied that it was as good as it was going to get. “Without potions, this will have to do,” he sighed, leaning back to look over his handiwork. Noctis now had white bandages wrapped snuggly around his chest and shoulder along with a couple more on either arm. And, despite how much he was cleaned off, there was still a few stains upon his body.

“He’ll be fine though?” Prompto asked for what had to be at least the tenth time.

Ignis hummed his confirmation, “Yeah, I believe he will be. As long as he rests a bit and drinks plenty, he'll be fine until we can get out of here and got more potions. There was a collective release of tension at that news, everyone finally able to relax, at least for the time being.

“He’ll be alright,” Gladio repeated to himself, but that didn’t make him feel any better about it. Though, the fact that he didn’t fail completely still helped him deal with this mess. He stayed by the fire, but he never let his eyes leave the raven’s from, even when the sun was starting to rise many hours later, he hadn’t moved.

None of them slept, they stayed awake until the sky lightened and the first birds could be heard welcoming the new day. Ignis’ fingers were tapping impatiently against the dirt, and he took a deep breath in order to slowly release it. Just when he was starting to grow concerned once more, a light groan of agony drew him back in.

“Noct?” he uttered, in disbelief. Said man, barely cracked an eye open, but it was unfocused and closed right back, tightly. “Can you hear me?” he inched closer.

The raven moaned again, and a hand went instinctively to his chest to inspect why it hurt so much. “I-” he broke off to cough a couple of times, his throat completely dry. The harsh action brought forth fresh stings to his wounds and caused him to hiss against it. “Iggy?” he croaked out at last.

“We’re here,” the adviser assured. “Do you think you can drink some water?” he asked, already grabbing a bottle. And, from the looks of it, Noctis didn’t have a choice in the matter, so he just let it happen. “Slowly,” he instructed as he lifted just his head high enough to safely take a few sips.

The liquid slid down easily and with much appreciation. It felt cool and just what he needed. “Wh the hell?” he asked, flinching as he was eased back down.

“Noct,” Ignis started, “you were hurt...pretty badly. And, you lost a lot of blood, so I need to know how you feel.” He got right to the point, skipping explanations and pleasantries. “How bad does it hurt?” Before he could get an answer, he was fishing some pain killers from the kit and had them ready in his hand.

Blinking heavily a few times in confusion, Noctis looked around to the others, who all had these weird looks on their faces, and it was honestly making him feel a bit uncomfortable. “What?”

“Dude, you were out for so long, I was starting to think you weren’t gonna wake up,” Prompto replied a little too honestly. “Glad to see you’re...mostly alright though.”

“Yeah,” the raven muttered, the light still seeming a bit too bright for his liking. “But, where are we?” he looked around, not remembered seeing this place before. When did they get here and why didn’t he remember it?

It was Gladio that spoke up next. “You passed out so I had to haul your sorry ass over here,” he answered, chuckling softly. But, everyone could hear just how elated he really was to see him finally awake. “You know, you kinda scared us for a moment there, especially Ignis. I think you owe the man an apology.” Noctis looked over to said man and gave a sympathetic smile, but it was brushed off.

“Just glad to see you awake,” the brunet admitted. “Now, I want you to drink a little bit more and eat something if you can. And, as soon as you feel up for it, we need to head back into town so we can get you the curatives you need. But, I don’t want you walking, no matter how ‘fine’ you try to say you are.” As he rambled on, Noctis could feel himself shrinking more and more. If he knew this was the welcome back he was going to get, he would have stayed asleep for a while longer.

“I get it,” he laughed lowly, even that causing pain to flare up. “So, I’m going to be carried back like a damsel in distress or something?” he asked, brow raised in curiosity. The smirk he saw spread on the shield's face ran a chill through him. “Is there another option?”

“Afraid not,” the brute apologized, “This is what happens when you become reckless, you don’t get to be picky. So, do us all a favor will ya? Stop being so stupid before you really get yerself killed.”

Noctis waved a weak hand in an attempt to seem uninterested, but it came off as forced and pathetic. “I know, I’ll try my best,” he sighed, letting his arm fall back against his chest. “I think I want to take a nap first though, if that’s alright with you guys.”

“Very well,” Ignis responded, finally pushing himself back to his feet, and he could feel the blood rushing back down to them after staying seated for so long. “I’ll get breakfast started; it should be done by the time you wake back up.” He nodded to the prince, and before he could even get a nod back, he was out, again asleep, but this time it was a restful one. “Take all the time you need.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, I just want to knock a few more off before I start accepting more. But, soon enough, requests will be open once more. :D
> 
> And, I'm sorry and hate to do this, but from now on, I will message people before I do your story, and if I don't get a reply, it will be skipped until I hear from you again. Only reason I feel the need to do this is because multiple times, I have written a request, and the person would never show up again. And, honestly, these take time, and if the person that asked doesn't stick around, then I don't want to take the time to do it.
> 
> Queue as of now:
> 
> ~laurelilith (I think this user no longer exists, so it has been skipped)  
the lazy one  
Crystal  
Ann  
'Anonymous4'  
Robin  
Luna the Wolf Mage  
FredrikssonT  
MsChievous  
NicoleBL


	30. Nurse Noctis

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Noctis wakes up to the rest of the group falling ill. He's the only one there to care for them. Not used to such things, he struggles a bit with his task. C:

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta read by: Sinikka_von_Wolperting
> 
> Request for: the lazy one

Noctis shifted under his covers as the first signs of the new day began to rouse him, much to his annoyance. Grumbling, he reached and yanked his cover up and over his head in an attempt to block out the morning rays; he wasn't in the mood for them, then again, when was he? But, there was something that was oddly strange to him, one thing that seemed to be missing. That's right, there was no one there nagging him like any other day. What would have been a blessing ended up setting off a few alarm bells in his head. He was never the first to wake up, and he could still hear a couple of snores going on around him.

Curious, he groggily peeked out from under his shelter, and in the other bed, he saw two lumps, still sleeping what appeared to be soundly. Well, Gladio and Prompto weren't up yet. Glancing over his shoulder, he found the space behind him to be empty. As he started to wonder where the adviser could be, he heard an unpleasant and ill noise coming from the bathroom. It took longer than it should have for him to put two and two together, and he blamed it on his just having woken up.

"Iggy?" he asked, finally sitting up and rubbing one of his eyes. He blinked a few times, and the turning of the doorknob reached him.

Out came a disheveled looking brunet, his face slightly pale as he leaned on the door frame to catch his breath. "Everything alright?" the raven asked quietly, not wanting to wake the others. Ignis merely waved a dismissive hand, as if to say everything was fine. But, the bags under his eyes begged to differ.

Clearing his throat, the adviser stumbled back to the bed and dropped himself on the edge of it to place his face in his hands. "Yeah," he finally spoke, voice hoarse and forced. "I think I just caught a little something is all, but it'll be alright." He took a deep breath and pulled himself the rest of the way back on the bed to lie on his side. If it was enough for him to go back to bed, then it probably wasn't as light as he made it seem.

"If you say so," Noctis sighed, pulling himself to his feet to stretch his muscles out. "If you're done in there, I'll be using it," he warned, giving the man a chance to speak up. Ignis gave him the go ahead and buried his face into the pillow. Humming that he understood, the prince began to make his way over. As he reached for the door, someone else shoved by him, and all he had time to see was a flash of blond and those same sounds from earlier sounded out.

"Seriously?" the prince asked, looking over his shoulder to see that Prompto was now the one missing. How did he get up and over here so fast and without him noticing? He kept his eyes on the others, and Ignis groaned uncomfortable while Gladio shifted himself, finally revealing his features as well. Hell, he was just as pale as the other was.

Pondering on it for a moment, the blond emerged from his little journey to the restroom. Giving him a glance over, he looked just as bad as the other two. "I'm finished now," the gunner croaked, dragging his feet back over to his own spot and falling back into place with a sigh of relief. Noctis could only stand there for a moment, completely dumbfounded. How could all of them be sick? He took another second to internally assess himself, half expecting to feel like shit any second himself, but he felt totally fine. Guess he really lucked out in this one.

"What the hell is up with all of you?" he asked, rhetorically, but got a reply anyway, one from the big guy this time.

The brute lifted his head just enough to look to the prince, his usually intense gaze dulled and unfocused. "What's it look like?" he questioned incredulously. "Must've eaten something bad," he half shrugged with a sickened groan.

"But, we ate the same thing…" Noctis commented, folding his arms. But, no one was listening to him, too busy trying to physically hold themselves together. He rolled his eyes and continued what he got up to do. Once he was finished up, he walked back up to three sets of snores now. Damn, it was only a couple of minutes, and they were out cold already.

Pursing his lips, he walked over to Ignis first and looked down. The man was absolutely drenched in sweat, the shine highly visibly with the sun hitting it the way it was. Hesitantly, he reached down and pressed the back of his hand against his cheek and he was positively burning up. "Shit," he hissed, carefully taking his hand away. Slowly, he did the same to the other two and found the results to be the same. None of them even reacted to the touch.

Noctis inhaled deeply and slowly released it, this was going to be a long day, one that he could have gone without having to deal with. But, he was the only one that could do anything without having to throw up or getting dizzy it seemed. Humming and getting back up, Noctis strolled over to the sink and filled a bowl with some cool water. He may not have been an expert on anything, but he at least knew a few simple things that would help out. Tossing in three rags, he hauled the water back into the other room and placed it on one of the bedside tables.

"Alright, this should help cool you guys off," he said under his breath, wringing the first piece of material out. He gently laid the first cloth over the adviser's forehead, and even asleep, his features relaxed a small amount. Blowing out through his nose in relief, the raven then placed the next on Prompto, and then Gladio, getting the same results.

Smiling to himself, Noctis closed his eyes for just a second, instantly hearing a slight cough. He cracked one eye open to see a single glazed blue orb staring back at him. "You awake?" he asked Prompto as he stayed still.

"Unfortunately," the blond replied, wincing as the word raked his throat painfully. Whimpering, he curled further on his side, trying to will the discontent away. "This sucks," he whined, voice tight.

The prince chuckled sympathetically. "Just go back to sleep," he instructed, making a shooing motion with his hand. "I'm sure you'll feel better when you wake up."

"I'll feel better if I die," he only half joked, letting out a miserable whimper. The complaints increased as his bed was jarred and a new face appeared over his shoulder. "Stay still," he whispered, the smallest of movements not agreeing with him.

Gladio ignored him though, and if anything, he was even less careful about his motions. "I will once you guys keep it down," he almost growled, turning back over to pull the covers over his head, grumbling as he did so. He let out a few coughs of his own followed immediately by a stifled curse. And, like the others earlier, sprang out of bed to have his own turn in the bathroom.

"Serves 'em right" Prompto uttered, eyes tightly closed and face a shade paler. His own arms were wrapped around himself protectively, and he, too, hid his face from view to fight back the urge to vomit on the spot. All Noctis could think, was that he hoped Gladio would hurry up before he had a mess to clean up.

He looked nervously to the door a few times, his muscles relaxing when the shield stumbled out, and just in time too. The younger man barely made it in time, and Gladio was back in the comfort of his bed, a new sheen of sweat coating his forehead. "Feel better?" the prince asked in amusement with a raised eyebrow. The other let out a huff, clearly not putting up with the raven's humor. "Alright, I get it," he went on, taking the discarded cloth to resoak and replace it.

"Thanks," the larger man sighed, his features softening as some sort of alleviation was provided. And astrals, did everything ache. "This isn't exactly how I had planned on spending the day," he joked, the silence starting to get to him. He may have been sick, but damn it was too gloomy in this room. He needed something. "Hey, how about you put something on before we go crazy," he suggested.

Nodding, the prince searched out the remote, finding it in one of the nearby chairs and flicked the TV on. It was obvious no one was going to watch it, but the background noise it provided was comforting. "Is this good enough?" he asked, turning the volume down just a tad.

"Perfect," he replied, giving a weak thumbs up, only to let it fall back to his side. "I'm going back to sleep," he said, flipping over to his side, nearly knocking the rag off again. Only issue with that idea was, everytime he closed his eyes, it seemed like his world was spinning, which was only making his nausea worse. But, he was too tired, so he'd just have to try and put up with it.

Just as things were finally starting to settle down again, it was Ignis' turn to rouse from his short nap, and the color he was sporting didn't bode well. With Prompto still in the bathroom, this wasn't looking good. Desperate not to let anything get on the floor or bed, Noctis jumped up and darted towards the nearest trash can and dragged it over. "Here," he offered, placing it next to the bed. The brunet didn't even have time to show his gratitude before he was gripping onto its edges and had his head practically inside of it.

The prince had to fight back gags of his own as he cringed and turned away. He prayed to himself that he would finish up soon, if he had to listen to this for too long, he'd be needing a turn with that bin. Then the smell hit him, and he couldn't take it any longer. "I'll get you guys some water," he offered, hand over his mouth and nose as he wasted no time in rushing into the other room. At a safe distance, he grabbed the edge of the sink and took a few second to collect himself.

Noctis waited until it was quiet again, and until the gunner was finally done himself, before he fixed a few glasses of water. Two at a time, he carried in the half-filled glasses and placed them on the bedside tables. "Anyone think they can drink anything?" he asked, folding his arms and looking to each of them. "Don't everyone raise their hand at once," he muttered, deciding then that it would be a good idea to get the trash can out of there.

"Might as well try," Ignis sighed after a while. He'd be a hypocrite if he weren't to follow his own advice at staying hydrated. "You two should do the same," he instructed, cutting his gaze over to them.

They groaned simultaneously and reluctantly lifted their own glasses. Staring down at the contents in semi-disgust, they willed themselves to take a few sips. At least the water was cool enough to feel nice going down, but they couldn't help but wonder how long it would stay down. The three of them only managed to get a few sips each before shoving the beverages aside and averting their gazes from it. It was nothing more than water, but it felt so much worse than that.

"Happy?" Prompto asked, the essence of regret gracing his face as he swallowed thickly. "Why can't this just be over already?" he asked some unknown being as he hid away once more, blocking the outside world from entering.

"Good enough, I guess," Noctis shrugged, knowing that was as good as he was going to get. "Still better than nothing." Gladio hadn't drank much more, and it seemed as though Ignis was the only one that seemed to put any real effort into it. "Any of you need anything else?" he asked, wanting to do whatever he could to help them get better quicker, but he was just no good at this bedside manners thing. He didn't know what they needed; all he knew was to try and keep them cool and hydrated. Other than that, he was completely clueless.

The raven waited, but no one spoke up, all they did was move around a little bit in a fruitless attempt to get comfortable. "You can check to see if we have anything left in out supplies," Ignis said quietly. "Check for anything to help with sleeping or nausea…" he trailed off as of speaking was enough to make that little bit of water come back up.

Noctis nodded and wasted no time in getting to their belongings. "I'll see what I can find," he replied, rummaging through their bags in search. Soon enough, he heard the familiar rattle of various medicines and cheered silently to himself. "Bingo," he let out, pulling a few of the bottles out. And, it took a little bit more looking, be eventually he found a container of both and dumped a few out of each.

"Ok, I need all of you to take one of each," he instructed, passing them out, making sure they all had the right ones. "And, hopefully it works," he prayed under his breath as they took their respective doses. There was hesitance in them, but they willed up the courage to get it done. Most likely out of desperation to get it over with and get better as quickly as possible.

Now that that was out of the way, one by one, they lied down and sunk into the sheet, waiting for things to take effect, which couldn't come fast enough. Prompto was the first one out, and Noctis assumed it was due to him being the smaller of the bunch. Which made him wonder if giving Gladio only one of each would even be enough considering his size. But, it looked as though it didn't matter too much, seeing as he was the next one out. And, surprisingly, Ignis was the last, slowly falling into a deep sleep as his shallow breaths finally evened out.

The raven good take a deep breath and relax at last. As long as they were asleep, that was less having to take care of and easier to keep up with. Hopefully they'd be able to rest longer this time with having to schedule a date with the toilet. Strolling over, the prince dragged himself into one of the chairs and sank into it. He may not have been sick like the others, but that didn't stop him from feeling tired already.

Relishing in the softness of the cushions, the raven allowed the seat to claim him and he leaned his head back to relax. Perhaps he was a little bit too at ease as he felt himself starting to doze off. Despite knowing he couldn't rest quite yet, that didn't stop his body from begging for it.

He wasn't sure how long he was out for, but he assumed it was quite a while with how stiff his muscles were. Groaning, he craned his neck to the side in order to try and get feeling back into it. "Man," he complained, reaching his arms above his head and briefly glancing to the others. Not a single one of them had moved an inch since they knocked out, and he couldn't help but wonder just how much time had passed. Muttering incoherently, he checked his phone, eyes widening at the time. It was already past noon, they had all been asleep for at least five hours. Which was fine for them, but he hadn't even intended on taking a nap.

Guess it was time to get up, despite there being nothing to do, nothing other than...right. His eyes wandered to the rags on all their foreheads. Those were probably in need of changing, and he mentally slapped himself for having forgotten. First, he had to get some fresh water, the old had already warmed up and was useless at this point.

He made quick work of the task, getting all of them situated with fresh cloths and everything and checking them again. At least they weren't quite as warm as before, and they were still sleeping soundly. So, they had something going for them at last.

Watching television for the next few hours, not really paying attention, but more as a means to stay awake and distracted, Noctis waited for something to happen. His fingers tapped on the arm of the chair, he could feel himself slowly start to lose it. He was so used to so much talking and energy, and now it was just boring and depressing. The raven found himself glancing over at them more than once in hopes of seeing at least one set of eyes looking back.

"Come on," he complained. Of course, there was an ounce of guilt, now that he thought about it, it was rather selfish of him wanting someone to wake up. Rest was the best thing for them after all.

"Noct," he perked up at the sound of his voice being called pitifully. And although the sound was strained and croaky, it could easily be identified as Ignis'. He instantly turned around and leaned over the back of the chair to find a pair of glassy jades staring back at him.

Noct hummed back, meeting the gaze. "Need something?" he asked when the adviser didn't reply to his first noise.

Hesitantly, the brunet sat up with a wince, his body feeling extremely heavy at the moment. "What time is it?" he questioned, looking to the window to see that the day was already waning rapidly. With all the sleeping and fever, he was absolutely disoriented and at a loss. The man rubbed both his eyes to clear his vision and looked to the others, who were still sound asleep.

"It's just past five," Noctis replied, surprised himself by how much time had passed. "How're you feeling?" he asked next, eyebrows raised.

The adviser pondered the question for a moment, putting real thought into it. "Better, I suppose," he let out a heavy breath. "Mainly just thirsty," he drawled out, remembering his glass of water. But before he could grab for it, Noctis was already snatching it up.

"I'll get some fresh," he offered, "that's been sitting there all day." Ignis didn't protest as his glass of salvation was whisked away, right from under his nose. But, he waited this long, what was one more minute. Plus, the promise of ice-cold water was almost a blessing in his book. His throat ached and his entire mouth felt bone dry. When the glass was brought back, and the cool surface pressed against his hand, he offered his thanks and took a few greedy sips.

"Slow down, will ya?" Noctis chuckled, but he was satisfied to see how willing he was this time. "You're always getting into us for not drinking slowly…" he muttered, getting a half shrug from the man. Seems like it was easier said than done.

He let out a breath and set the cup aside. "How are the others?" he asked, glancing over as one of them turned over.

It was now the raven's turn to shrug. "Not sure, they haven't woken up yet. You were the first." But, Prompto looked close to it as he shifted again. The movements becoming stronger and fewer between. "You awake?" the prince asked, getting a small mumbled from the mess of blond hair.

"M'tired," he slurred before cracking one fogged eye to gaze at the two of them. Groaning, he closed it back for a few seconds and slowly opened it back up.

"I bet," Noctis responded, grabbing his glass next to do the same. Returning with a fresh glance, he gestured for the gunner to sit up and handed him his own glass. And, much like Ignis, he chugged his in much the same manner. Of course, he also got a small warning from the raven, only to get brushed off. "Thanks," he breathed out, setting the empty glass aside. Closing his eyes back, Prompto leaned heavily against the headboard.

Now, it was Gladio's turn. He probably could have slept a bit longer, but not with all the commotion that was going on around him. "Shuddup," he grumbled, turning to his back to throw an arm over his eyes. "Are you guys ever quiet?" he asked, but at least he sounded better as well. He had a bit more force behind his words.

"I'll get you more water too," Noctis offered before he could ask for it, knowing it was coming. "So, I take it you're feeling better as well," he guessed, handing the beverage over. The way he, too, downed the liquid was answer enough. "I'll take that as a yes," he commented, rolling his eyes. "Any of you think you can eat something?"

Now that he mentioned it, he realized that he hadn't even eaten yet; he was too busy fussing over the three of them to even consider such a thing. Plus, he knew that the smell of food probably wouldn't be very much appreciated. "We can try," Ignis offered, knowing they needed a little bit of something.

"I could warm up some soup then, if that's alright with everyone," he suggested, for lack of any better idea. No one protested against that idea, so soup it was. "Alright then, I guess I'll see what we have." He really hoped they had something that was easy to prepare, if he had to do this from scratch, then there was no way this was going to end well for any of them. Luckily, he found a few cans in one of their bags, courtesy of Gladio, he was sure. Perfect.

This wasn't going to be a fancy meal, but hey, it was something, and it's not like they had a right to be picky at the moment. Dumping it all into a pot, he gave it a while to heat up and divided up between the four of them. While the three of them had their's in hand, having the leniency to eat in bed, Noctis brought his back to his chair.

For a few minutes, he just stared down at the creamy contents of the meal, and he had this deep unpleasant feeling at the sight of it. "Are you alright?" Prompto asked between spoons of his own food. "You look a little pale."

Groaning, the prince placed his bowl aside, "Not really hungry," he admitted, wrapping an arm around his abdomen and sank back in his chair. He let out an exasperated breath as he closed his eyes and released a quiet and distraught, "Dammit."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ~OK, I AM ACCEPTING REQUESTS ONCE AGAIN~
> 
> Feel free to request on my Tumblr as well. BUT, do not do so anonymously. If you do, I ask that you message me to let me know who you are. I will not let others know who you are, but I need to know so I don't have the same person asking for more than one at a time. I hope you understand. C:
> 
> And, I'm sorry and hate to do this, but from now on, I will message people before I do your story, and if I don't get a reply, it will be skipped until I hear from you again. Only reason I feel the need to do this is because multiple times, I have written a request, and the person would never show up again. And, honestly, these take time, and if the person that asked doesn't stick around, then I don't want to take the time to do it.
> 
> ~laurelilith (I think this user no longer exists, so it has been skipped)
> 
> Queue as of now:
> 
> Crystal  
Ann  
'Anonymous4'  
Robin  
Luna the Wolf Mage  
FredrikssonT  
MsChievous  
NicoleBL


	31. Close Call

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Being the crown prince isn't always what it's chalked up to be. Along with the title comes the darker side of fame, which the two friends are reminded of.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta read by: Sinikka_von_Wolperting
> 
> Request for: Ann

'Finally,' the prince thought to himself as he put the last of his things in his bag. He let out an elongated yawn as he waited and listened to the last of the footsteps. Once the classroom was clear, he stretched to his own feet and slung his bag over his shoulder with an exaggerated huff.

"So, you free today?" The raven jumped at the unexpected voice, and let out a soft sigh at the sight of his friend's face. Prompto offered him a small smile, patiently waiting for a response. "Hey, you still in there, dude?" he asked after a moment of silence.

The raven gave short nod and shrugged his free shoulder. "Yeah, sure," he answered, with a sideways grin of his own. "After you," he breathed out, waving his hand for the blond to take the lead. With a bow of his own, Prompto skipped on forward, a bit more spring in his step than usual. "What's got you in such a good mood anyway?" Noctis asked with a slight chuckle of amusement.

"Oh, it's no big deal," the other replied, trying to sound nonchalant, but it was clear there was something he wasn't saying. Spinning on his heel to face the prince, he lifted his hands in a dramatic way. "Only that I just so happened to get my hands on something I think you would enjoy." He then gave a small wink before turning to carry on his merry way.

Noctis raised an eyebrow and followed suit. "Oh yeah?" he questioned, "and what would that be?"

"It's a surprise. One can only appreciate its beauty in person," the other snapped his fingers as he turned the corner. "Can't spoil the grand reveal until we get there." He looked over his shoulder to give a sly expression and pushed the door open.

Noctis couldn't help but roll his eyes at how dramatic he was making this, but it wouldn't hurt to humor the guy. "Sounds exciting," he feigned interest, laughing again at the slight hop in the other's step that it earned him. "So, is this 'thing' back at your place or something?" he guessed, pausing when he noticed someone strange out of the corner of his eye. But, he brushed it off and continued on.

"Correcto mundo," Prompto snapped his fingers once more. "And let me just say, this baby was not easy to get my hands on; it took more than a little bit of persuasion as well, and don't get me started on how long I had to save up…" The rambling droned on, the words slowly going out of focus as the prince's eyes kept flickering to the man across the street, and he was sure he was watching them by now. He swallowed involuntarily. "Dude?" Blinking a few times, the raven snapped his attention to the other. "You alright?"

"Y-Yeah," he stuttered, glancing over again only to find the street void of life. "Just thought I saw something is all. It's nothing though."

"You sure, because it didn't seem like 'nothing'." Prompto was staring at him, brow knit in genuine concern. "You know you can tell me if something's bothering you, right?" He gave Noctis a moment, but all he got was a stifled 'yeah' and a curt nod before he was brushed past. "If you say so," he mumbled and fell into step behind him. Still, he would catch the occasional look he would cast to the other side, but, every time he followed, there would be nothing there.

After a few minutes of this, he came to a sudden stop, causing Prompto to nearly run into him. "Hey Prom, wait here, I uh, have to go check on something. I'll be right back," he held up his hand to accentuate his suggestion, making sure the blond's feet remained planted where they were as he took a few steps back. Once he was sure he would stay stationary, he spun around to dart across the road.

As soon as the raven touched the opposite sidewalk, he glanced over one last time just to make sure he wasn't coming after him. Satisfied, he rounded the corner into the first alley he saw. "Hello?" he called out, voice shaking the slightest amount as his eyes scanned around, locking onto anything and everything that caught his attention. No one. "I-I know you're there," he stammered, heart thrumming in his chest. What the hell was he doing?

Scoffing lightly at the lack of a response, he uttered, "Damn cowards." Giving his follower one last chance to show himself, the prince shuffled his feet nervously and finally relaxed his shoulders. He supposed it really was nothing; he was just being paranoid.

Giving the alley one last once-over, he stepped to turn around, and instantly, his path was blocked off as he ran straight into a large figure. "Little dangerous to be wanderin' around alone, ain't it?" he asked, talking around the cigarette hanging out of his mouth. "Shouldn't ya be on yer way home or somethin'?"

"What do you want?" Noctis asked, voice nearly a growl and he took an instinctive step back, the foul smell of burning tobacco burning in his nostrils. "Why are you following me?"

The man looked behind him, as if he was expecting to see another there. "Damn you ask a lotta questions," he mumbled, dropping his cigarette to the ground and stamped it out, giving his foot a twist to make sure it was completely out. "Ya'know, being nosey can getcha in a lot of trouble." He gave the raven what he could only describe as a knowing grin, showing his yellowing teeth as he did so.

Again, Noctis stepped back, letting out a startled gasp when his back touched against something, and another laugh sounded out from behind him. "What do ya say to a bit of a chat?" another voice asked from behind, their breath tickling down the back of his neck. All hairs stood on end and a shudder he couldn't suppress racked his form. "Make this nice and simple, and this will be smooth as butter. What do'ya say?" he asked, a slight suggestive tone under his words.

The prince grit his teeth, but made no move. As a single droplet slid down the side of his face, he cut his eyes to try and look behind him. But it was no use, he could make out nothing unless he turned around, but for some reason, his body wasn't letting him. "What do you want?" he asked again, way less force behind the demand than he had wanted. His fear was tangible and he swore to himself for letting his unease be known.

"I told ya, just come along with us. Don't worry, we won't hurt ya...unless, of course, you give us no choice." By now, the first one was closing in, now a mere few feet away. The smell of smoke now practically overwhelming.

He didn't budge. No way was he going to go with them, but he couldn't see himself taking on both of them, especially with the size that they were. They were no Gladio, but they were still a bit larger than him. If it were one, he could stand a chance, but two… He swallowed thickly as his pulse became damn near painful. "No," he whispered, the sound deafening in his head. And, the silence that followed after the word staked him straight through the heart. 'Bad idea,' he thought to himself when the first man's face twisted into something much more menacing.

His lip tugged up in some sort of snarl, and his head turned to the side, sending a sharp pop to bounce off the walls. Just as he took a step towards the raven, something shattered, shards of glass rained down from the man's head and he froze on the spot. Shock held him in place and anger filled him as a thin trail of blood slithered down the side of his head. Slowly turning, his deep jade eyes burned into the teen behind him.

"L-Leave him alone," the blond stuttered, his whole body shaking in fear. He couldn't believe what he just did; this was insane.

"Prompto!" Noctis called out, his eyes wide. "I thought I told you to stay there!" his voice cracked a minor amount, his breaths coming out in hurried pants. "Get out of here!"

But, he didn't move, he stood his ground, albeit not very confidently. "You better listen to yer boyfriend back there. This doesn't concern you. Now, skedaddle before it does become yer business," the man threatened, hands reaching for something in his pocket. Prompto's eyes darted to it anxiously, and he saw a slight shine from the edge of a blade. "It's yer choice though," the guy muttered, giving him one more chance to get out of here.

"Not without Noct," he whispered, barely audibly, and his right hand tightened around the broken bottle that he still gripped. The man sighed as if this was nothing more than a nuisance to him.

He shrugged his shoulders casually and pulled his knife the rest of the way out. "Very well, have it yer way. But, just know, you had your chance, and you chose this."

"Prompto, just run," Noctis begged, flinching when a strong hand landed on his left shoulder in warning. "Will you just go? Please, you have nothing to do with this," he tried begging, but it was no good.

Tightening his hand into a fist, the prince's entire body tensed up and his teeth grit together. Without warning, and in one fluid motion, he swung his foot back, catching the guy behind him right in the shin. He let out a sharp cry and let his guard down with the pain. "You little shit!" he hissed out between rotting teeth, spitting a little in the process. Staring dripping daggers at the raven, he forced himself to straighten back up. Before he could do so, there was another kick, but this time to the side of his knee.

"What the hell are you doing back there?" the main guy asked. "Just grab the brat already!" At that moment, he had to jump to the side in order to evade a slash at his face. "And you," he directed at Prompto, "that glass ain'ta toy. How about you drop it before you hurt yerself with it."

"How about you just leave?" the blond shot back with zero intentions of backing down. He meant it when he said he wasn't leaving without Noct. He readjusted his grasp of the glass when the sweat slid against it.

With the second man faltering from the blow to his knee, the prince took that chance to shove into the other, throwing him off balance. It wasn't much, but it was just enough for him to slip by and get next to Prompto. Without stopping, he grabbed the other by the wrist and started running, willing to drag him along if need be. "Come on!" he shouted, adrenaline being his main drive now.

The blond gasped in both surprise and sudden acceleration as he was tugged along. And, he had no choice but to run after or risk being hauled right into the ground. "What-" he cried and stumbled. After the first couple of awkward steps, he was running on his own. His makeshift weapon was dropped with a resounding shatter and he turned his back on the two thugs.

The more they ran, the more Noctis swore he could hear them chasing after him. There was no stopping, not until he was sure they were safe; he wouldn't even risk looking back out of fear of how close they would be. His hold remained on his friend, wanting to make sure he didn't get left behind.

"Noct," he heard behind him, but his heart beat and the wind rushing by drowned most of his name out. They weren't safe yet. "Noct," Prompto said louder, his voice strained from exhaustion. "Noct!" he cried out, this time snatching his arm from the constricting grip. "That's enough," he breathed out heavily, his words nothing more than mere exhales as he struggled to catch his breath.

Breathing heavily himself, the prince slowed to a stop and instantly looked back. No one...they were alone. He leaned forward with hands on his knees to give his lungs some much needed relief. Taking a few more greedy inhales, he sank down into a crouching position and fell back to sit. Until now, he had no idea just how far they had gotten, how far they had ran. But, at least they were far enough away now.

"What the hell was that all about!?" Prompto exclaimed, gesturing behind them. His voice trembled with fearful residue. Dropping to the pavement next to the other, he closed his eyes for a few seconds while his pulse calmed down. "Who were they?" he asked, casting the raven a curious look.

"You honestly think I know?" he shot back, the statement coming out harsher than he had intended. "I have no idea, and I don't want to find out either," he sighed, slowly pushing himself back up. "But, I don't wanna wait around to find out. Let's just get to your place," he suggested, hinting at the fact that he wanted to forget about it.

Prompto nodded, eagerly. He didn't say it aloud, but he was a little uneasy being out in the open like this. They were now in a place with more people, but that didn't help matters any. "Yeah, I can't argue with that."

They both looked around a bit more and went on their way, but there was no more talking between them as they went. Both were jittery and on high alert, anticipating something to happen. It was doubtful anything would happen so publicly, but there was no logic to be had when emotions were running high like they were.

But, the silence was becoming too much, and every noise was making them jolt and look around. This, of course, got them quite a few curious looks from other citizens. "This sort of thing happen often?" Prompto asked. "You know, considering who you are. I just imagine this isn't uncommon," he avoided looking at the other, hoping this wasn't a touchy subject.

"Something like that," the other answered, a bit more casually than expected. "Not exactly like this, but similar things occasionally." Prompto couldn't resist, he finally glanced over to look into the other's gaze and found this distant stare, like there was more to that story.

"Oh," he replied, at a loss of that to say, He couldn't imagine what that must be like. After hanging out with the guy for a while, it was sometimes easy to forget that he was a prince and there were consequences that came with that label. Like threats, hating him just for who he was, and not to mention those that had other things in mind. The ransom one could get for someone like Noct. He shuddered just thinking about it.

The prince caught that movement out of the corner of his eye. "Everything alright?"

"Yeah," the blond answered without pause, perhaps a little bit too fast. "Everything's fine. Guess I just never experienced anything like that before. Kinda hard to shake it off," he chuckled humorlessly.

"I guess," he brushed off.

"You 'guess'? Those guys weren't messing around. Noct? How can he be so cool after that. Who knows what they wanted. They might have even wanted to take you hostage...or worse. And, all you can say is you 'guess'?" His voice was raised in disbelief.

The raven chewed on his lip and cocked his head to the side slightly. "Look, I'm not alright with it, ya'know? But, there's nothing I can do about it. It comes with the title, so what can ya do?" His pace slowed down marginally and his attentioned dropped. "All I can do is forget about. It's not going to go away, and it's not gonna get any better."

"Oh, yeah, you're right," he replied flatly. It didn't matter what he said though, this was something he didn't think he would ever be able to accept. Everyone always thought about the perks that came with royalty, but they rarely think about this side, the dark side of things. "Anyway, dude, trust me, once we get to my place, this will be completely forgotten."

Prompto's chest loosened a tad at the subtle change in posture; it was less tense and more like the Noctis he knew. "Like I said, this baby was not easy to get my hands on, and I can guarantee you have never laid eyes on one before."

"Lemme guess," the raven sighed, gazing upward in though, "it's a game. Am I right?"

The other's step faltered, and he stammered with his words for a few seconds. "Well, yeah, it is, but it's still something special. Really rare, and they don't make copies of it anymore. Like I mentioned, you may be royal, but I bet even you have never tried it." He gave the prince he satisfied smirk, knowing for once he had the upper hand on at least something.

"Can't wait to see then," he was back up to his previous pace now, and the events from earlier were starting to shift to the back burner. "I swear though, if it's another one of your 'collector' things, the ones that just sit on a shelf to collect dust, then I'm never coming over again."

Prompto hummed to himself. "Don't be like that, there's nothing wrong with that." He pursed his lips a bit then uttered, "I just don't want those to get messed up. Won't be worth anything if they aren't in pristine condition after all."

"Damn, you really are a nerd," the raven mumbled, scratching the back of his head.

"But, to answer your question, it is one of 'those' things. But, for this one I'll make an exception. We play it for today only, and then, it is to never be touched again."

Rolling his eyes, Noctis clapped the other on the back, hard enough to cause him to stumble. "That works for me. And, Prom?"

"Yeah?"

He hesitated, he wasn't used to this sort of thing. "Thanks, for you know, helpin' me out back there. Don't think I could have gotten out of that one by myself."

"Don't mention it, I'm sure you would have done the same for me. Just...don't wander into sketchy places again if you can help it."

"Deal."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ~OK, I AM ACCEPTING REQUESTS ONCE AGAIN~
> 
> And, I'm sorry and hate to do this, but from now on, I will message people before I do your story, and if I don't get a reply, it will be skipped until I hear from you again. Only reason I feel the need to do this is because multiple times, I have written a request, and the person would never show up again. And, honestly, these take time, and if the person that asked doesn't stick around, then I don't want to take the time to do it.
> 
> ~laurelilith (I think this user no longer exists, so it has been skipped)
> 
> Queue as of now:
> 
> Crystal (Skipped until I get a reply)  
'Anonymous4'  
Robin  
Luna the Wolf Mage  
FredrikssonT  
MsChievous  
NicoleBL  
Silverheartlugia2000  
Bagpipes5k  
ADyingFlower  
KHDreamfan  
Rain446  
Farsky  
Rubue  
Wilting Worries  
knowledge-or-death


	32. Better This Way

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Unable to handle the loss Ignis has suffered, Prompto is willing to give something of his own up in order to return what was stolen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta read by: Sinikka_von_Wolperting
> 
> Request for: 'Anonymous4'

He couldn't take his eyes off the man, more particularly, his features, his marred, permanently distorted features. Of course, he brushed it off, it was just the kind of person he was; the kind to suffer in silence to spare the others of the pity and guilt. Because, if it wasn't a big deal to them, then why should it bother them so much? Prompto's hands gripped at the fabric of his pants, his distant and vacant gaze still loitering on the adviser's eyes. The blond had to blink a few times to fight off his self-blame. He should have been there with him, or Gladio should have been, someone should have…

Every day it was like this, an endless cycle of them blaming themselves, blaming each other, pushing those feelings out in the form of anger and accusation. Someone had to be responsible for it, but all of them refused to hold the right person accountable. He was sick of it, so utterly and goddamn done with it all. His stare had to be ripped away, just looking at it now was beginning to fray his nerves more and more.

"Dammit," he muttered under his breath, lowering his head to rest in his hands as the train jolted with another bump. He wanted to blame these emotions on the heat that had just surfaced from the argument of the others, but he knew deep down that wasn't it. Even before that, these feelings were stored in the back of his head. Ever since that day, they had been there, slowly eating away at his psyche until he couldn't shove them aside any longer.

Prompto shuffled in his feet and nervously checked the time on his phone for probably the fifth time in the last ten minutes. "How much longer?" he breathed out, his gaze transferring over to the window for the time being.

"It shouldn't be too much longer," the adviser replied, quietly, getting a startled gasp and jump out of the gunner.

"Of course," he responded, sitting up straighter and taking a deep breath to calm himself. He held the air in for a few moments and slowly blew it back out, closing his eyes as he did so. He needed to get a hold of himself. Getting worked up and tense over all this wasn't going to make things better, and it sure as hell wasn't going to aid Ignis in any way. "Hey, Iggy?" he mumbled, gaze downcast to look at the man's hands instead.

The brunet hummed in acknowledgement, but didn't turn his head to face him.

He hesitated, the question clinging to his tongue and refusing to exit, but after a bit of convincing, it eventually found its way. "Do you, uh, do you think they'll be alright?" he asked, averting his own gaze in slight embarrassment. "Noct and… Gladio, I mean."

The older man held his own pause, which already didn't bode well for him. He exhaled heavily and sat up himself, finally moving his head to look blindly at the blond. "It's best not to fret over them, they'll be alright. The wounds of grief are still fresh, and like any affliction, they take time to mend." He nodded subtly, and Prompto could have sworn that for that single moment, he was looking right at him. "Just give them space, and things will smooth over with patience."

That wasn't the answer he had been hoping for, but what choice did he have other than to accept it. "Yeah, I guess you're right," he whispered, leaning to the side until his head was propped against the window. Jarring vibrations traveled straight through him with the contact, but he ignored them, focused only on the warping scene that whizzed by.

* * *

"We're here," Gladio grunted on his way by, giving Prompto's foot a small nudge as he spoke. "This is the only stop we're making for a while, so if you need anything, now is the time to get it." He didn't wait for a reply, didn't care what it was either way. The brute was simply going with the flow, almost as if he was on his own preset track that was making his decisions for him.

The gunner only gave him a small smile, it was forced, but it was understood, and that's just how most of their interactions were now: mutual understanding. "You wanna head out Iggy? Or…?" He let the question hang in the air for a few seconds.

"I'm quite alright waiting here," he sighed lowly, his attention again off somewhere else.

"Ok, well, I'll be right back. I just… just need to stretch me legs for a bit." He chuckled lightly, trying his best to lighten the mood. It was an utter and complete failure of an attempt, but Ignis did at least give him a ghost of a smile in return.

The blond nodded, nothing more of a small head dip, as he stepped out into the aisle. "You need anything while I'm out?"

"No, thank you," he replied, crossing his hands in his lap. Prompto's face faltered at the sight; he was totally defeated, he wasn't even trying to hide it anymore. More and more, he was allowing his inner turmoil leak out for the others to bear witness to. His chest tightened uncomfortably at the obvious decline in demeanor.

Before he could waste anymore time, he turned his back to the man and strolled out, the world around him nothing more than a husk of what it was; all the voices and happenings were reduced to white noise to him. The moment he stepped off and was reintroduced to fresh air, there was a weight lifted as it whisked those negative vibes away. Looking around, there was nothing that caught his eye, nothing that held any interest to him; the only purpose being to clear his head and get a bit of a change in scenery.

Somewhere off to his left, he could make out the towering form of the shield, and he intentionally drifted in the opposite direction. Things were too awkward right now, another argument wasn't something he was fond of starting right now. Not that he would start one on purpose, but these days the conflicts ignited themselves. His steps quickened without his knowledge, his breathing struggling to keep up, and before he knew it, he was going at a full jog, putting as much distance between them as possible.

Consciously, he willed his feet to slow down, his breaths coming in shallow pants as his core trembled with his fluttering pulse. Again, he was getting so rattled for no apparent reason, nothing to provoke it. He leaned down with his hands on his knees, catching his breath before he stood straight once again.

"Ok," he mumbled to himself, "you need to stop this." He shook his hands as if simply doing so would flick all his troubles away. Gradually, he lifted his gaze, a moment of confusion flashing through his mind as he swiftly looked around himself. Dread curled its lanky fingers around his throat and tightened as he took in the amount of foliage around him. He guessed he ran further than he had first thought. But, a sigh of relief unhinged that grasp when he caught sight of the train through the trees.

Rolling his shoulders back, he took that first step back towards it, only to have it frozen mid air when a breeze tickled down the back of his neck, a withered voice intertwined within it. "H-Hello?" he stuttered, cautiously glancing over his shoulder, seeing nothing but deeper into the forest.

Again, a gust of wind, almost urging him to follow its direction. And, he didn't know what it was that compelled him to do so, but he obeyed, allowed its enticing current to guide him down an unseen path. "W-Who's there?" he asked again, his body never taking his queue to stop, to turn around and head back. His mind knew something was wrong, that this was reckless, but his heart… His heart had different plans, and his body chose to follow that one.

For a hot minute, he feared he'd be wandering endlessly, destined to get lost in these godforsaken forest. But, eventually, there was a break in the infinite green, a smudge of brown, like an old brown. He squinted his eyes in order to make out the form of a small building, expertly hidden away in the heart of this place. Prompto stopped just a few feet away, his breath came out in a shudder and his gaze flitted around.

"What the hell…" he mumbled, his whole form tensing in unease. There was nothing that stuck out as threatening, yet everything screamed at him that it wasn't safe here. That building, it was clear that it had been there for quite sometime, dilapidated and worn down, vines and other children of mother nature crawled over it. "Is somewhere there?" he called out, only getting his voice bouncing back as a reply.

Still nothing. Biting his lip, he went to turn his head, only getting it halfway before jumping back and letting out a less than manly yelp. "Are you trying to give me a heart attack!?" he cried out, hand over his chest to calm his aching heart.

"My oh my," came the haggard old voice as she strolled by, heading off towards the wilting structure. "I didn't mean to scare you. But, I am curious as to what brings you way out here. It's not often I get company out here after all."

His inhales were still strained as the adrenaline took its time to fade away. "You live out here?" he asked, genuinely surprised.

"That I do, son. Tell me, how did you get out here?" she paused to turn back towards him. He couldn't quite place it, but there was something in her gaze that captivated him, silently coaxing him to trust this woman. He had no reason to, nothing about her portrayed kindness to him. He was just compelled.

"I-I don't know," he answered honestly, "I was just going for a walk and…" he swallowed thickly, his pulse racing again and his hands slicking over with anxiety. "And," he licked dry lips, "I just stumbled upon...this place."

She hummed to herself and took a few slow and well-placed steps towards him. "Something troubles you, doesn't it, my boy?" she asked, her piercing stare pulling his own in. "Someone is struggling, aren't they, someone you care for. And, it's been gnawing away at you." She stopped no more than a few inches away. "I can help."

He held his breath, lungs stinging with the inability to release it with ease. "Yeah," he replied flatly, voice hitching on the single word. "Yeah, he is."

"All you have to do is say the word, and I can make it all go away," she tempted in that feigned sweet old voice of hers, but the intent that lied beneath was clear as day. What kind of statement was that, of course he wanted it gone, there was no question about it. Seeing him about to answer, she held up a single wrinkled hand to quiet him. "But, it won't be free. I'll need something in return."

"How much?" he asked instantly. "I-I'm willing to pay however much you want...if I have enough. Just tell me how much you want."

She chuckled darkly at the innocence of his offer. "No, no, I have no need for your money. No amount of payment can fix things of this magnitude. I'll need something a bit more, let's say, one of a kind."

"W-What do you mean?" he stuttered, all of his alarms going off.

She placed a single finger over his mouth, beckoning him to stop talking. "Are you willing to pay the price?" she asked, leaving out what it was she seeked in return. Without a word, he just nodded, one curt and eager nod. "This will do," she smiled, trailing her touch down and ran it over his throat. She closed her eyes, and he was enveloped in those same winds as earlier. He wasn't sure how long this went on for, but they grew more intense, forceful enough to make him tighten his eyes shut.

Just as quickly as it picked up, it just ended. Hesitantly, he carefully pried his eyes open, and it was all gone, everything was gone. The forest… the cabin. Even the woman, nowhere to be seen.

"Hey! Hurry the hell up before you get left behind!" Prompto spun around to see Gladio stepping back on the train. The sounds of it starting him reminded him that there wasn't time to think about things, he had to go or get left behind. Without another look behind him, he was off, and back in the car a moment later. Just as he hopped on, the door slid shut behind him.

That voice still hung on him, and he swore he could still hear it in the back of his mind. He shuddered as it echoed off the inside of his skull, and he fell into a quick walk to head back towards his seat. The second he entered that section, he paused as his gaze met jade. The others were there too, standing next to him, all of them sharing the same expression of disbelief. 'Iggy', he mouthed, unable to belief it for himself. So then...that was real, it wasn't a figment of his imagination or some weird trance he had. It really happened.

Clearing his throat, he rushed forward, his previous sorrow and despair coated with delight. "How?" he asked, freezing when nothing but a stream of air came out. His mouth still hung open as his right hand lifted to feel his neck, but nothing was out of place, all was normal. "Hey," he tried again, getting the same result. He hadn't been aware of how desperate his breathing had become until two heavy weights landed on either of his shoulders

"Prom, you alright?" Gladio asked, looking straight into his eyes, unwavering as the soaked in the unadulterated panic. He didn't know how to respond. He just met that stare, and without thinking, he shook his head, his breaths getting caught in his throat. "What's wrong?" he asked?"

Prompto continued to shake his head, his legs shaking and threatening to give out at any moment. His mouth opened and closed a few times in futile effort to speak, but every time turned up nothing.

"Prompto?" He snapped his gaze over at the sound of Ignis, and his mind settled marginally at the way he looked at him, gazed right at him and recognizing him. "Can you speak?" he asked, afraid that he already knew the answer. Calmer, he shook his head once, his attention dropping to stare down at his feet, giving in to his body's need to drop down to his knees.

"What the hell happened?" Noctis asked, looking from the advisor to the gunner in utter confusion and concern. Prompto and Ignis both shared a quick look, the same question swirling in that emerald stare. He had no idea what happened, but he had a sinking feeling that the blond had done something incredibly stupid.

* * *

"So, that's it huh?" the shield asked, leaning back in his seat as Prompto pulled his phone back, closing out the last bit of his recollection. They were all caught up now, he told them everything he knew, everything that he remembered. There was no telling if they believed it or not, bt the fact that Ignis could miraculously see again made it a difficult point to argue. "This...this woman-"

"Bitch," Noctis corrected as a snarl.

"-took your voice, and in return, she returned Ignis' sight?" he asked, making sure he had this right. Prompto nodded, his eyes remaining on his lap and refusing to leave the spot. He couldn't explain it, but a shroud of shame covered him at admitting all this.

They all took a near collective breath, no one knowing what to say, where to start. Where were you supposed to start with a bomb like this? It was unheard of, and if what he said was true, there was no hope of them finding this woman again. From the sounds of it, others could not enter her territory without her permission or knowledge. Only if they were in a desperate and vulnerable mindset such as Prompto had been.

They sat in silence for some time, only the sounds of the tracks and the chattering of others filling the area. After about half an hour, the blond let out a sigh and threw his head back in exasperation. Even he knew there was nothing they could do about this, it was over with and this is how things were going to have to be. As far as he could tell, him being without his voice was a much better option than one of them losing their sight. Especially if that someone was Ignis, the man who _needed _his world to be crystal clear. And, not just for his sake, but for Noctis' as well. This was a trade that would benefit them all.

Accepting this as the better option, he gave them all a sad smile and nodded to Ignis, who still wore that guilt-ridden expression on his face. 'It's better this way,' the gunner thought to himself, hoping the others would understand that as well.

'I'll be fine,' he typed to them, shrugging as they read it. 'Not like anything will change, I'll still be me, just a quieter me…' He dropped his phone in his lap and blew out an elongated breath.

"No, this isn't fine," Ignis replied, his voice tight. "You shouldn't have done that. My loss was my own, it wasn't for someone else to fix. I knew the risks before it happened, and I was fully prepared for the worst when I did what I had to. Prompto, this was _my_ punishment for my actions and _no one_ else's," he seethed between teeth, his tone uncharacteristically dark. "This wasn't a burden for someone else to bear."

Silence fell between them, and the advisor brought his stare back to Prompto's, his spine tingling at the glisten in his eyes. The blond blinked a few times to fight back stinging pricks and mouthed a small 'sorry' before tentatively sliding out of his seat. He walked a few sections down until he was a good distance and found himself an empty one to settle in.

The brunet, pinched the bridge of his nose and thrust his head back with a sharp underhanded swear. "This isn't right," he muttered, unclear as to which part of this he was referring to.

"Well, there's no changing a thing," Gladio needlessly reminded. "What's done is done, and we're just going to have to learn how to play the cards." He rose to his own feet to return to his own corner he occupied before their stop.

"You should talk to him," Noctis said right to Ignis the second Gladio was out of range. "I know, I don't like this either, but are you really blaming him for all this? And I thought I was the unreasonable one," he scoffed, getting up himself now and strolling in the opposite direction, leaving the advisor alone to himself to handle this however he chose.

He knew he was right, but that didn't make this any easier. If anything, it only served to make this more complicated than it had to be. "Dammit," he sharply swore, pushing himself to his feet in an instant. He had to move now and fast before he changed his mind. He cast a glance over to the blond, the back of his head facing him, and he just had to make this right.

Gathering up the pieces of his dignity, Ignis crossed the few feet there were over to the other and casually placed himself across from the younger man. "Prompto, listen, about what I said…" The other still didn't give him the light of day, his eyes remained on the floor, his thumbs fiddling in his lap. "I didn't mean it to come out that way. I appreciate what you did...the sacrifice you made. But...I just can't accept that," he choked out, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees. "You've done something that I can never repay you for, and something that can never be made up."

He waited as Prompto pulled out his phone to write something back. 'I don't expect anything in return. I just want you to be able to carry out your duty...and that's it.'

The brunet lightly shook his head in amusement. "I would have done that regardless of circumstances," he sighed. "But, I'm not going to discredit what you've done for me. Like I said, this is a thing that can never be repaid, and it's something that we'll have to carry with us for the rest of our lives. I just hope you're aware and ready for what that entails." He didn't stick around for a response, he got out what he needed and wanted to get out and make clear.

Prompto stayed where he was though, he never once moved or looked up to the adviser, but he listened to each and every word he said. Leaning his head back, he ran both hands through his hair. He glanced over his shoulder, and watched as Ignis easily found his seat and gazed out the window, his attention now able to focus on the scene just outside. Yeah, it was better this way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ~OK, I AM ACCEPTING REQUESTS ONCE AGAIN~
> 
> You can also request me on Tumblr
> 
> And, I'm sorry and hate to do this, but from now on, I will message people before I do your story, and if I don't get a reply, it will be skipped until I hear from you again. Only reason I feel the need to do this is because multiple times, I have written a request, and the person would never show up again. And, honestly, these take time, and if the person that asked doesn't stick around, then I don't want to take the time to do it.
> 
> ~laurelilith (I think this user no longer exists, so it has been skipped)
> 
> Queue as of now:
> 
> Crystal (Skipped until I get a reply)  
Robin  
Luna the Wolf Mage  
FredrikssonT  
MsChievous  
NicoleBL  
Silverheartlugia2000  
Bagpipes5k  
ADyingFlower  
KHDreamfan  
Rain446  
Farsky  
Rubue  
Wilting Worries  
knowledge-or-death  
ImmortalMarshal  
mabver321  
Shiary  
redpandaaprince


	33. Overheated

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Used to the moderate weather and living in the crown city, Noctis is in for a wake up call when thrust into the outside world. C:

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta read by: Sinikka_von_Wolperting (She also has a request series)
> 
> Request for: Crystal

"Man, this feels so good," the prince drawled out, honestly not caring how much of a fool he must have appeared to be. He closed his eyes and relished in the cool surface of the counter, the sound of the adviser's voice slightly muffled from the angle. But, he wasn't talking to Noctis, so it required not his attention.

The others on the other side of him were busy with their own conversation, but again, he couldn't care less, he just wanted to lie right there where he was until the sun went down. They had only walked from the shop over to the diner, but that alone was enough to sprout a fresh layer of sweat upon his features. Why the hell was it so damn hot out here, this was nothing even close to the summers they would get back in the crown city.

"Noct," he heard the impatient sigh of Ignis as a slender hand prodded his shoulder, beckoning his attention. "I apologize, but we really must be going now." He leaned his weight onto one leg as he folded his arms, fingers tapping away.

The raven let out a heavy exhale of his own. "Do we have to?" he asked, already knowing the answer. But, hey, a man could be hopeful.

"I'm afraid so," the strategist replied, deadpanning. "The sooner you get up, the sooner we can get this over with," he reminded, hoping that would be enough to light a fire of motivation under the younger man.

Slowly, he sat up, the side of his face immediately losing all relief it had as the rays shone upon it. "I have an idea," he offered, spinning around in his seat to face the others. "How about, I wait here, and you three finish things up?" He gave them a small sideways grin, his legs crossed as he leaned back against the counter.

The pointed gaze he received from the adviser was answer enough, and the tapping of his foot was the nail in the coffin. "Alright, alright, I'm coming," he whined out, waving a hand. As he pushed himself up with a groan, he peeled his jacket off, cringing at the amount of moisture that clung to his back when it was unveiled. "I feel so disgusting," he complained, draping the material over his arm.

"As I've said, get this over with, and you'll have the rest of the day to do nothing," Ignis repeated, turning around and pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "Are you two ready to head out?" he questioned, bringing his attention to the others.

"Mmhm," the blond hummed, giving the man a mock salute. "Ready to rumble."

The shield merely just grunted in agreement, giving the prince a look of incredulousness as he dragged his feet over. "Walking would be easier if you lifted them," he scoffed, nodding downward. Instead of a smart remark, he got a wave of the other's hand as he cut his eyes over in annoyance. "What's gotten into you?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Nothing, it's just so hot," he replied, as if it were obvious enough. Seriously, was he the only one noticing how high the temperature was around here? Without waiting for the others, he hauled himself outside, immediately hunching slightly when the sun bore down on him. He gave another pained and exaggerated groan as he instead slung his jacket over his shoulder and headed for the Regalia to toss it in.

"If we head over right now, and don't waste any time, we should be able to accomplish this within a matter of half an hour," the brunet informed, hoping that would help to persuade his leige a bit.

Prompto bounced up next to him, in an unusually perky mood. "So what? We kill a few things, then the car gets fixed and we can be on our way?" he asked, wanting to make sure he had everything straight and understood.

"Indeed," Ignis replied with a curt nod.

The blond gave a dreamy sigh, "We'll be cruising again soon enough. Try not to miss us too much, ok?" he cooed, running a longing hand over the slick surface of the vehicle. Behind him, Gladio gave a light scoff and shook his head.

Once Noctis was finished getting ready, he went to stand next to the others with a huff and a flick of his hair. "Alright, let's just go already," he breathed out, swiping the back of his hand across his brow before the droplets had the chance to make it into his eyes. "Swear, feel as though this place could combust at any moment."

"Let's hope it doesn't," his adviser,muttered, stepping in the direction of their destination, hinting for the rest to follow suit. Begrudgingly, the raven fell into a forced and sluggish step behind him, each one draining him just a little bit more of energy and motivation. With the heat the way it was, he found it rather astonishing that anyone was able to live in these parts. No wonder Cindy was dressed the way she was… But, the jacket sure couldn't be comfortable.

They had only been traveling for no more than a few minutes, and already the effects of the environment were wearing him down. "Mind if we take a break?" he asked, stopping before anyone had the chance to answer and leaned forward to place his hands on his knees.

"Don't tell me the princess has had enough already?" Gladio chuckled at the guy's expense. "I mean, I knew you were a tad on the pitiful side, but this is not what I expe-"

"Do me a favor," Noctis interrupted, snappily as his gaze locked onto the other, "shut it." He took a deep and shuddering breath, his hand swiping at the sheen of sweat on his forehead once again. "Dammit," he muttered.

"Is, uh, everything alright?" Prompto asked, voice threaded with concern. Ignis was already handing the prince a bottle of water, fully aware of how much water he was losing through sweat. He made certain the others got one as well.

Unscrewing the cap on his own, the brunet took a long sip. "Make sure to stay hydrated out here. With this heat, we're all losing water faster than normal." He kept his jade gaze on the raven as he spoke, as if he was talking to him particularly. And, his watchful eye remained there until the other obeyed and took a few greedy drinks. "Whenever you're ready, we should carry on. In a couple of hours, I fear the temperature will rise. It's best to get this done before that," he suggested, tugging at his sleeves to allow a bit of air to flow in.

"Alright, I think I'm good," Noctis straightened back up, ignoring the way a few colors sprouted in his vision. Blinking them away, he screwed the cap on his water and strolled forward. "Let's get this done so we can be done with this.

The rest of the going went relatively alright, no more breaks between there and their destination, but the prince had slowed down enough to fall to the back of the group, where his pace continued to dwindle little by little. If anyone noticed, they didn't comment on it, but the way his breathing had become more labored was more than a little obvious. Before it was something that they were all aware of though, they had reached their destination.

"Here we are," Ignis announced, crouching behind a scarce and sad-looking bush to keep an eye on the few scorpions in the distance. There were only three of them, but with the venom they sported, they could be quite dangerous if they got the chance to sneak up on someone. "We need to take them out fast, and make sure to avoid the stinger if you can help it," he warned, giving the other three a hard glance.

Scanning over them, his gaze settled on Noctis, and he took in the slight flush of his cheeks. "Noct," he called out, earning said man's attention. "How about you stay back, this way you can keep an eye on things for us," he tried, hoping he would take the bait and stay out of this one.

For a moment, he looked as though he would snatch that offer by the reigns, but then he stubbornly called his blade and gripped it tightly. "It will be much faster if all four of us fight," he said, refusing to make this take longer than necessary.

"Are you sure you're up for that?" He asked, holding the man with a look of skepticism. "It's not a difficult foe…"

To answer that question, the prince merely thrust his weapon forward, and in the next instant, he vanished in a sprinkle of blue particles. The adviser exhaled forcefully, and threw all caution to the side to run after the raven. For a second, Gladio and Prompto exchanged a confused look and shrugged at one another. They thought that perhaps there was something going on between the two of them. But, whatever it was, this wasn't the time nor place to ponder it.

Summoning their respective weapons, they both charged out into the fray, neither of them intending to hold back. Prompto made sure to keep his distance in order to provide any sort of cover that he could. Meanwhile, the other three were in the middle of the scuffle; Noctis warping from one place to the other, going at a speed that was a bit worrying in the eyes of the adviser. There was a lot of unneeded movements, and it was doing nothing but wearing him out faster.

"Noct, pace yourself," he near pleaded, his gaze narrowing. But, he was thoroughly ignored, the prince carrying on as if the man had said nothing, or simply made a suggestion. Seeing this, the brunet picked up his own pace.

From the back, the gunner watched the scene unfold, the two of them fighting at a speed he'd never seen them accomplish before. That wasn't what caught his attention though. No, it was the eventual, but sudden, deceleration of the prince that pulled in his focus from his target. Luckily, it was the last scorpion that was on its last legs. In a flash, he flung his gun away and back into the armiger.

"Hey, you alright there bud?" he asked, timidly walking over to where the prince stood hunched over, taking in deep breaths. Even from a few feet away, the drops sliding down the side of his face was clearly visible. "Noct?" he called, reaching a hand to rest on the other's shoulder. Ignis was on his other side, leaning over slightly to try and get a better look at his face. If possible, it was a few shades redder than it had been.

The older man crouched down in front of him and placed his hands on either of his upper hands and gave him a gentle tug downward. "Your Highness, I think you should take a seat for a while," he spoke softly, trying to guide the raven to lower himself. As he gazed into his face, there was a mask of vacancy upon it.

Noctis mumbled something incoherent under his breath, which hitched slightly in his throat. His breathing had been quickening ever since the battle was over, and his gaze was starting to gloss over. "S-Specs?" he muttered, meeting the other's stare for only a fraction of a second before he leaned into his hold, his knees buckling under him as they were unable to hold his weight any longer. In the next moment, he was completely relying on the adviser to keep him from hitting the ground as his entire body gave out. Those blooming colors had returned at full force and now completely blocked his vision before the started fading out.

"Noct?" Ignis asked, giving a gentle shake. No response, and his breathing was still pretty quick; it was evened out, but still fast. "Son of a…" he uttered, lowering the prince to the ground and rolled him over to his back.

"W-What happened?" Prompto asked, voice a fewer octave higher. "Iggy?" he was on his knees now as well, his eyes wide in panic. His alarmed gaze flickered to the unconscious man to the other, seeking answers. "Did you hear me, Iggy? What's going on?" he demanded this time, leaning in closer to the strategist.

Frustrated with the lessening space, Ignis shoved the blond away before placing his hand on Noctis' cheek, cringing inwardly at the external heat that radiated from him. "I believe he just got too hot," he announced, but he didn't sound too relieved about that himself. "We just need to get him cooled off, and he'll be fine," he added, not wanting the others to worry too much, not that it was helping his own concern any.

Without needing to be told, the brute was already over and scooping the younger man into his arms. "Guess we should get heading back then," he breathed out as he stood. The way Noctis was lying limply in his arms caused a small pang of guilt from the earlier teasing prod at his chest.

"We should make it quick," Ignis advised, glancing towards the sun as the heat almost raised by a whole degree in the last minute. "Prompto, hand me your bandanna," he instructed, holding out his palm as they walked. The gunner obliged immediately, wanting to help in any possible way that he could. Muttering a quiet 'thank you' he soaked the fabric in what was left of his own water and used that to wipe the princes face off. And, even in the state that he was, he sighed a soft exhale of relief at the cool touch.

They kept up this pattern for the whole way back, only stopping momentarily to check on him and make sure he wasn't doing any worse. For the most part, his condition hadn't changed, aside from his occasional mumble or shift. But, on the bright side, it wasn't getting any worse. Ignis hoped it was the continuous appliance of the water that kept him in that state.

"Is he gonna be alright?" Prompto asked once more, despite the adviser's earlier statement. But, one could never be too sure, it had happened so fast, and he'd never seen the raven like that before. He'd never seen him pass out before, or even get knocked out. It was odd.

"Yes," Ignis replied, "he'll be fine." He cast a worried glance. Nothing gave him any reason to believe otherwise, but the fact that he let it come to this… He needed to be more strict with him; he knows his limits, and he saw this coming from a mile away, but he still let him fight and let this happen. It could have easily been avoided if he would have just put his foot dow-

He froze, a light groan catching him off guard. Next to him, Gladio readjusted his grip to prevent his charge from slipping out and causing more harm to himself. "Calm down, will ya?" he mumbled, tightening his grasp the slightest amount.

The prince pried his eyes partially open, but they were still glassy and unfocused. However, he did look directly at the shield, his name ghosting over his lips as it teased the tip of his tongue. He couldn't get a word out, his mouth was far too dry and the thought of speaking was tiring. Trying to turn his head, he found that even that wouldn't cooperate. In fact, everything was so damn heavy and unresponsive.

"We'll be back soon," Ignis told him, unsure if he could make out his words. "Then, we can get you cooled off." Even to him, this was surprising. But, when he really thought about it, he should have seen something like this being a problem earlier. Honestly, the environment here was on the other side of the spectrum when compared to home. None of them were used to this kind of weather. He guessed it just hit Noctis harder than it had the others. Then again, who could have predicted they would have come across such a mess. The plan was to just cut straight through, there was no reason for them to expect to have to do laborious work in such a place.

"It's just up ahead," came Gladio's deep voice, and the others let out a collective and relieved exhale. Just a couple more minutes and they could get him somewhere with air conditioning and get some more water in him.

With it so close, the shield picked up his pace, his quick walk transitioning into a casual and light jog. The others easily kept up with the large man as he strode across the street, barely bothering to make sure it was clear beforehand. Not that he saw an issue with that, they had hardly seen other cars pass by. Not nearly enough to warrant caution as far as he was concerned.

The moment he was across, he made a beeline for the Regalia. The engine may have still been under repair, but that didn't mean the rest of it didn't work. He stepped by Cindy as she was leaned over, face hidden away as she worked. The woman only lifted her attention when a few jolts ran through the car and startled her.

"What's with all tha commotion?" she asked, slightly drawn back. Her curious gaze landed on the prince. "Oh, what happened ta him?" she asked, bounding over, coming to a stop next to the man.

"He overheated and passed out on us," he replied bluntly, getting right to the point. "Hey, you don't mind getting some cold water or something, do you?" he asked, just as the other two joined, giving the man space to work Noctis into the car. As he did that, Ignis rounded to the driver's side to start it up.

The mechanic hummed in confirmation at the request. "I can do ya one better, I'll fetch a bit of ice if yer thinkin' it will help," she offered.

"Yeah, if that's alright," the shield agreed, finally getting Noctis situated. She returned at record speed, a pack of ice already extended for the brute to take, which he did, with a nod of thanks. Climbing in, he closed the door after him, wanting to make sure all the cool air stayed in. He shoved the ice under the younger man's neck, instantly getting a suppressed shudder out of him. "It's for your own good."

Within a few minutes, and after waiting and fidgeting, they were finally rewarded with another groan, this one sounding a bit more lucid as the raven's eyes screwed tighter shut. "Noct? Can you hear me?" Ignis asked, looking over the back of his seat. To answer him, the prince cracked a single eye open and gazed directly at him. "How are you feeling."

"Hmm," he hummed, unsure how to answer that one. "Sluggish," he settled on, thinking that summed it up pretty nicely. "The hell...the hell happened?" he asked, voice hoarse and forced out.

"You passed out on us," Gladio replied, grabbing another bottle of water. "Got too hot out there and your body gave up on ya. Here, you need to drink some if you can," he unscrewed it and pressed the bottle into his hand. "You got it."

Nodding, Noctis sat partially up, his head still swimming a slight amount with the movement. But, he wasn't at the risk of passing out right away again. "Did we kill them at least? I'd rather not go back out there," he chuckled to himself, but the others failed to see the humor in it.

"Yes," the adviser answered. "But, I believe we're still going to need to have a talk later."

"Seriously?" the prince whined, taking a few sips and relishing in the sweet taste of fresh water.

Ignis set him with a pointed look for a moment. "Yes, seriously. Noct, if you ever feel as though you're pushing yourself, then you need to stop and take a break. Do you understand? This isn't the crown city, the conditions are much harsher out here."

"I think I figured that one out, mom," he muttered, handing the water back to Gladio and lying back down. "Damn, it's freezing in here," he complained, getting a solid eyeroll from his shield.

"I'm not kidding," Ignis practically warned, "don't push yourself unnecessarily. I will not have you hurting or harming yourself while under my watch." For a couple of seconds, they met one another's gaze before the younger of the two finally broke it.

"Alright, I get it, I'll be more careful." Honestly, he was just too tired to argue at the moment. "Won't happen again," he promised, turning over to his side and worked his way up to a sitting position. "I was reckless, and I shouldn't have done it. That about covers it, right?" From the look on the other's face, that wasn't the reply he wanted, but, at the same time, he knew it was the best he was going to get from someone as stubborn as him.

He nodded once before turning the car back off. "Very well, as long as you swear to take it easy from now on, and no more pushing it." Noctis waved a hand with a muttered word of confirmation. "And, I mean it," he added as the prince reached for the door to get out.

"I know you do," he sighed, pushing the door open to leave the others to himself.

"Well, it could have been worse," Gladio grunted, folding his arms and leaning back.

"Exactly."

The brute opened his own door, turning back on last time. "Nothing you could have done to prevent something like that from happening. It's just something that does. Don't beat yourself up over it."

Ignis watched as he, too, exited. And, he blew out a puff of air and leaned back as he watched Noctis stroll by, heading back for the diner. He just wasn't used to this place; Gladio was right, nothing he could have done to prevent it. Luckily, the prince bounced back from things pretty easily, so it really could have been a lot worse. Pocketing the keys, he pushed his own way out. All he could do was hope they didn't have to stay out here for too much longer. The sooner they got out of this heat, the better for them all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ~OK, I AM ACCEPTING REQUESTS ONCE AGAIN~
> 
> Free free to request on my Tumblr as well.
> 
> And, I'm sorry and hate to do this, but from now on, I will message people before I do your story, and if I don't get a reply, it will be skipped until I hear from you again. Only reason I feel the need to do this is because multiple times, I have written a request, and the person would never show up again. And, honestly, these take time, and if the person that asked doesn't stick around, then I don't want to take the time to do it.
> 
> ~laurelilith (I think this user no longer exists, so it has been skipped)
> 
> Queue as of now:
> 
> Robin (Skipped until I get a reply)  
Luna the Wolf Mage  
FredrikssonT  
MsChievous  
NicoleBL  
Silverheartlugia2000  
Bagpipes5k  
ADyingFlower  
KHDreamfan  
Rain446  
Farsky  
Rubue  
Wilting Worries  
knowledge-or-death  
ImmortalMarshal  
mabver321  
Shiary  
redpandaaprince


	34. Wayward Wanderer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AU scenario covering how I think it would have happened if Prompto had manages to escape the Empire at the age of 15. He meets the others by chance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta read by: Sinikka_von_Wolperting
> 
> Request for: Luna the Wolf Mage
> 
> Really hope this is what you had in mind, and hope you're pleased with the outcome of it. :D

It was another rough one, another hunt that took every ounce of energy for him to complete. But, it was done, and he'd be able to return to the comforts of civilization that he so craved. Prompto took a deep breath as he gazed down on the horn held tightly in his grasp, the proof that he had carried out the mission to completion. Slowly releasing that breath, the blond stuffed the object in his pocket and began to scan the area, his eyes searching for the first sign of a haven. It wasn't exactly late yet, but you never knew when you'd come across them, so it was better to be safe than sorry.

Thankfully, he was able to quickly and easily spot the rising plume of smoke in the distance, and from what he could tell, it didn't appear to be too far out of the way. If he walked at a decent pace, then he could most likely be able to make it with day to spare. With one last glance to the darkening sky, he was off, setting into a casual jog towards the safety of the runes.

As he walked, he tugged his pack further up his shoulder, the weight of it really starting to make itself known now that rest was within sight and reach. By now, he practically dragged his feet, leaving two little trails in the dirt in his wake. With the sun descending as it were, the air was crisping up, cooling his skin as it brushed over his still sheened body. This definitely served to remind him of just how much he desperately needed a shower. Not that he would be able to get one for at least another day… Still, it was the hope that kept him going these days.

Soon enough, he fell into an automated walk, his steps slowing down while the events of the day dragged down on him. Exhaustion hadn't really made itself known until now, when he was able to relax a tad bit. This was one of the issues he faced with hunting alone...no one to watch your back, so no way you ever got a chance to fully calm down out in the wilderness. The man sighed heavily at the thought, his left hand finding his right wrist as it gripped the limb tightly.

His thumb traced over the inside of his wrist, his mind falling back into the memories of those days. It had really been five years already, but it still felt like just the other day. His fingers instinctively dug in, the painful memories resurfacing uninvited. Nails sank deeper as teeth clamped down on his lower lip, and his pace was slowing down to a near crawl. Just as he was almost at a complete stop, he perked up, his hand drawing back and his head jolting upright. There were voices, he was sure of it.

His years of experience kicked in, his body acting on its own and skipping to the side to duck behind a boulder. There he pressed himself against the rough surface and held his breath. Carefully, he tiptoed closer to the edge of it until he couldn't go any farther without being seen. There were definitely others out there, and by the sounds of it, there were three of them. All male. They had fallen into a casual conversation, none of them seeming to pay attention to their surroundings.

Risking a peek, Prompto leaned his head around the corner and drew in a sharp breath of annoyance. "Dammit," he muttered in frustration, they were headed right for the haven, intending to call it for themselves.

There was no other choice, he'd just have to find somewhere else, much to his dismay. But, it was getting dark quickly, and there was nowhere else within sight that he saw that would be safe enough. All he could think of to do was to sneak by and find another place. That, or approach them, but they didn't look to be from around here, and there was no telling what they were up to. No, it wasn't worth the risk.

Prompto waited, giving them some time to settle down, and preoccupied with their own conversations before he made his move. Crouching down, he took one easy and careful step, the connection to the ground hardly disturbing a pebble. That was it, just one step at a time, it would take some time, but if it meant not getting noticed, then it was worth it. His breaths came out in controlled wisps. Afraid that the simple task would alert them to his presence.

Within a few minutes, he made it a few yards, but he was now out in the open, nothing in his immediate sight that he located that would provide cover if need be. One more step, and he froze, a clacking noise reaching his ears and chaining him in place. Biting his lip, he glanced down in time to see a loose rock coming to a stop a few feet away. And, the others quieted, obviously alerted by his slip up. Before he could lower himself or try ducking out of view, a pressure was upon him in a flash of view. The breath was knocked out of him and confusion clouded his mind.

A sharp gasp was forced out of his lungs when ht hit the ground, pain sprouting from his back as it struck the packed earth. "Wha-?" he went to ask, a cool and sharp object pressed against his neck cutting him off. He swallowed thickly, the small action causing the edge to bite in. A bead rolled down the side of his face, and he finally lifted his gaze to stare into an intense blue stare bearing down on him.

"Who the hell are you?" the raven asked between teeth, no intentions of removing himself or easing up with the weapon.

Nervously, the blond glanced down to the sword, the look in his eyes silently pleading for some relief. As if reading his expression, the man eased up the smallest amount, providing just enough room to speak safely. "T-Thanks," he muttered, hands moving to reveal they held nothing harmful. "My name," he started, pausing to take in a shaky breath, "my name is Prompto...Argentum…"

"What are you doing sneaking around in the dark?" he asked next, eyes narrowed in a skeptical manner. "Are you up to something?"

At that, he had to chuckle. Him? Up to something? The mere thought of that was enough to stir amusement in him. "Nothing, just...looking for a safe place for the night," he replied honestly, hands still raised in surrender. "I'm just a hunter. Honestly." He offered the most innocent smile he could muster, ignoring his fluttering pulse.

That must have been the right answer, because another, a taller man walked up behind him and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Noct," he uttered softly, "where are your manners?" The two of them met one another's gaze and the one called Noct reluctantly stepped back, his blade vanishing in a blue flash.

"Wha-?" Prompto was slightly startled by such a spectacle. He was at a loss for words, but he lightly shook his head and gave his undivided attention to the man bearing the glasses. He held out a hand for him to take. "Thank you," Prompto mumbled, accepting the offer. "What about you guys?" he asked after some time, his blue orbs flicking from him to the largest of the three. "What are you three doing way out here?"

They all exchanged a look, obviously debating on what they should tell him. "We're traveling," Noct replied, folding his arms defiantly. "That's all you need to know anyway."

"Fair enough," the blond responded, it wasn't his business anyway. "I should, uh, get going then," he added, jabbing a thumb behind him, starting to feel more than a little uneasy. It was clear he wasn't welcomed among them, and the less time he had to wait around here, the better. But, at the same time, he desperately didn't want to travel at night...alone.

As he stepped back, a gentle and light hand grabbed a hold of his shoulder, and, out of instinct, he grabbed at his gun. "Why don't you just sta-" A moment later, the bespectacled man was gazing down the barrel of a handgun, his jade eyes wide in surprise. In horror, he fumbled with his gun, trying to lower it quickly; but, it was too late, the largest of the three already had him back on the ground, his weight effectively pinning him to the spot.

"I-I'm sorry. It was, it was a reflex!" He quickly blurted out, his gun dropped to the ground before it was kicked aside.

He wasn't lying at least, it was basically hardwired into him, the need to protect himself at a moment's notice. His breath caught when the weight shifted, but it wasn't in a manner that would give him some breathing room. "If I were you, I'd suggest keeping your itching finger off that trigger," he warned, the tone practically a growl.

"Gladio," the brunet sighed, beckoning for him to get up. Even after having a gun aimed right at his face, he appeared to be unphased. Just who the hell were these people if that wasn't even enough to shake them?

The brute cut his eyes over, hesitating before relaxing only slightly. "Really, Ignis, after the shit he just pulled, you want to go easy on him? As far as we know, he could be up to no good." He looked back down at the smaller man, scoffing at the panicked look on his face. After the stunt he just pulled, Gladio was surprised he had the nerve to pull such an expression.

"It obvious didn't have any ill-intent behind it," the man replied, switching his attention over to Prompto as if asking him to verify his assumption. Taking the queue, the blond nodded frantically, his teeth grit together as inhales became a struggle.

"It was an accident," he choked out, screwing his eyes shut. Then, thankfully, the pressure was gone, but there was no assistance to help him up this time around. Not that he was complaining, he deserved that one. "I'm sorry," he included, unsteadily getting to his feet and brushing himself off with a humorless laugh.

The others, on the other hand, failed to see anything 'laughable' about the whole mishap. If anything, they were even more standoffish than they had been previously. "You can stay with us, but if you so much as think about doing something," Gladio warned, abruptly turning his back to the blond and began sauntering towards their camp. Prompto only nodded, an anxious sweat forming on his brow. The others followed suit, leaving him to lag behind a few feet. On the way, he scooped his gun up and put it back away with a heavy sigh.

'Why do you always react like that?' he asked himself with a clench of his fists. Every time, the moment he was startled, he always sunk to violence before anything else. Most of the time, it was a blessing seeing as it mostly occurred when he was actually in danger. But sometimes, well, not so much.

As he drew closer, his steps slowed down, his nose picking up on something that caused his sense of smell to perk up and his mouth salivate slightly. "What's that?" he asked, sniffing the air longingly.

"I was just whipping up a quick supper," Ignis replied, speaking as though it were nothing special. "You're free to join us if you wish; I have a habit of making too much anyway."

"Are you sure that's alright?"

The brunet hummed his confirmation. "Indeed, it's better than things going to waste." He waved the blond along, and the younger man couldn't help but to skip forward at the promise of a home cooked meal. He couldn't remember that last time he had had such a luxury. Though, now that he thought about it, had he ever? Microwaved meals and pre frozen food didn't count. So, this was probably the first time he had the honor.

The closer they got, they more he could basically taste the flavors in the air. Had he really been missing out on something this tantalizing? By the time they arrived at the haven, his gaze had no trouble in locating the pot, nearly filled to the brim with stew. "What is it?" he asked, glancing at its chunky contents.

"Nothing special," the brunet brushed off. "It's just some stuff thrown together. We are running rather low on ingredients, and it was the best I could whip together with what we had left." If that was what he considered to be something meager, then he couldn't imagine what his real meals must have been like. "Why don't you have a seat, it will be ready shortly," he gestured towards one of the chairs.

Glancing over, Prompto counted them: four. "I'm alright with the ground," he kindly declined, making his way to the fire and lowering himself next to it. He placed his hands on his knees and glanced awkwardly at the other two as they took their own chairs, neither of them very fond of his presence. If he were being honest, he was feeling more uneasy by the second.

His thumbs twiddled in his lap, his armband sliding up his arm with the movement. Before he had the chance to correct it, a mutter, "That a tattoo?" sounded out from the raven. Looking over, the both of them were staring right at his wrist.

"This?" he asked unnecessarily, trying to nonchalantly shrug it off. "It's nothing, nothing important," he replied far too quickly, fixing his accessory. "It's been there...for a while." His gaze shifted strangely from the mark to the others. "So, are you guys related? Friends? Or, what exactly?" he questioned, his attempt to change the subject completely obvious.

"Comrades," Gladio answered, keeping it simple and to the point.

Prompto just nodded, at least he got a reply, was better than he had expected. He took a deep breath and gazed into the flames, the heat licking his face. He closed his eyes and allowed his mind to wander, it was doing quite a bit of that lately, more than he would have cared for.

"It's ready," Ignis called out, tanking him from his temporary reverie. A small jolt ran through him as the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. That was the second time, the second time something minimal startled him. It was really starting to get ridiculous. "The bowls are set out, so everyone come and grab one before they get cold." They other two wasted not a second to retrieve their own meals, but Prompto hesitated. He may have been invited to a bite, but it still felt kind of wrong to him. "You coming?"

"Yeah, sorry, was just thinking," the blond answered, pushing himself up with a small grunt of effort. He strolled over and wrapped his fingers around the last bowl, letting the warmth of the dish soak into hands. Up close like this, it looked even more delicious, and the scent as the steam rolled straight into his nostrils. "This looks incredible," he complimented, taking it back with him to his spot. Slowly, he scooped a good bit into his spoon and gave it a few cooling breaths before sipping at the broth. It was unlike anything he ever tasted. Compared to his frozen meals, this had to have been what heaven was like. "Whoa, it really is incredible."

"Glad it is to your enjoyment," the chef replied, a smile gracing his features. From the looks of it, that was what the man lived for, seeing others relish in his cooking.

Prompto took a real bite now, and if possible, the actual food part was better than the broth it bathed in. As he downed another few bites, the voice of the larger man reached out for him. "So, where are you headed?" he asked, eyes dead set on the blond. Even though his voice lacked any threat, the mere company of him was intimidating. He had no doubt he could snap his neck with ease if he truly wanted to.

"Uh, Lestallum," he answered. He had no reason to hide anything, well, nothing recent anyway. "The client that hired me stays there. So, just need to make the delivery."

"Kinda far, isn't it?" the raven asked, raising a really good point.

The blond shrugged. "It's not that bad, I've had to go farther than that. This is nothing compared to-" he cut himself off before he said too much. The travels from Niflheim to here were much farther, but that was something that didn't need to know about. "It's nothing."

The others exchanged more curious looks, fully aware that he was hiding something, but it didn't concern them. And, despite how much their minds begged for answered, they had enough dignity not to give in to its pleas. For a while after that, they ate in heavy silence, no one knowing what to talk about, what was alright to talk about. Prompto was starting to think it would have been a better idea to just keep moving through the night.

By the time they had all finished, it was well into the night, the promise of sleep was beginning to caress the lot of them. As two of them cleaned up, the raven remained in his seat, still keeping a curious gaze on the gunner. He never said anything, it just observed him, almost like he wanted to ask something. But, he never did. And, he didn't look away until they had all decided that it was time to call it a day.

He was offered to join in the tent, though it was mostly out of not wanting to be rude than actually caring about his well-being. "Nah, I have a sleeping bag, so I'll be fine out here," he smiled, pointing to the pack on his back.

"If you're truly ok with that," Ignis replied, giving the younger man what appeared to be a somewhat sorrowful look before ducking in after the others.

"Yeah," Prompto sighed to himself, rolling his bag out and climbing in. He rolled over to his side to face the fire, his gaze occasionally flicked over to the tent where he could still hear soft murmurs. Must have been nice, having people like that travel with. People you could trust ad that had your back. He pressed himself deeper into the confines of his bedding, hiding his head away from the light in order to block it all out. Well, it wasn't so bad being alone. At least he wasn't stuck back there. He'd take the occasional companionship and the many nights alone over that hell any day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ~OK, I AM ACCEPTING REQUESTS ONCE AGAIN~
> 
> (Not for much longer though, because this list is getting long again)
> 
> And, I'm sorry and hate to do this, but from now on, I will message people before I do your story, and if I don't get a reply, it will be skipped until I hear from you again. Only reason I feel the need to do this is because multiple times, I have written a request, and the person would never show up again. And, honestly, these take time, and if the person that asked doesn't stick around, then I don't want to take the time to do it.
> 
> ~laurelilith (I think this user no longer exists, so it has been skipped)
> 
> Queue as of now:
> 
> Robin (Promise yours is next now ^-^ )  
Luna the Wolf Mage  
FredrikssonT  
MsChievous  
NicoleBL  
Silverheartlugia2000  
Bagpipes5k  
ADyingFlower  
KHDreamfan  
Rain446  
Farsky  
Rubue  
Wilting Worries  
knowledge-or-death  
ImmortalMarshal  
mabver321  
Shiary  
redpandaaprince  
Defiant Drift  
Prompto-cam  
xYukiNoYume
> 
> ~IF YOU REQUESTED AND YOUR NAME IS NOT ON THIS LIST, PLEASE LET ME KNOW, I SOMETIMES LOSE TRACK~


	35. Who's to Blame

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When a team maneuver goes wrong and ends with Noctis paying the price, two of his comrades have to deal with their mistake.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta read by: Sinikka_von_Wolperting
> 
> My Tumblr in case you wanna reach me somehow.
> 
> Request for: Robin
> 
> So, you said you wanted one or all of them to hurt him, hope two of them is alright. Doing all three, I was afraid of causing it to feel forced, and I honestly couldn't think of a way to do that. ;w;

"Watch what you're doing!" Gladio cried over the fray, the breeze from the swing of a blade that was far too close for comfort ruffling his hair. He flashed a warning glance in the prince's direction, but with the foes they were facing, it didn't appear as though he noticed the look.

Noctis didn't get a chance to apologize, or even acknowledge his mistake as he was having enough of a hard time dodging attacks of his own. This whole thing was starting to get ridiculous; how long had they been going at this now? Five, ten minutes? Didn't sound like too much of a long time, but when most of it was spent avoiding death, it sure felt like hours.

The prince glanced back behind him as a couple more bullets whizzed by. "How ya doin' back there?" he asked as the blond hopped a couple more feet back, not wanting to risk drifting too close to the brunt of the battle.

All Prompto had the time to do was give the other a quick thumbs up as he made a dash to take cover behind some boulders. There he pressed himself against the surface, waiting until he assumed it was safe enough to peek back out. Meanwhile, Ignis was only a few feet away, backing the raven up whenever the need arose for it. The adviser stuck close, not letting the other out of his sight for more than a second.

"Noct, incoming," the brunet warned, his always level demeanor going as strong as ever, not that anything else was expected. He turned just in time to evade a slash aimed right at his neck, the blade of the scythe nearly nicking him. The young man hissed between his teeth as a natural reaction, but the other took that as his queue to butt in, effectively countering the attack with relative ease. "Are you alright?" he asked instantly, only seeing the small scratch, but one could never be too certain.

The raven gave a curt nod, brushing the concern off with a small, "Fine." His fingers brushed over the cut, and he pulled them away as the warm substance made contact. 'Damn, that was close,' he thought to himself, swallowing thickly and triggering a small sting. He really should start being more careful when fighting, all it took was one misstep or one minor mistake, and it was game over.

He took a deep breath, the day finally starting to catch up with him, and the fact that this reaper wasn't going down without a fight was only wearing him down even more at a quicker pace. They had to be close by now though, they just had to be, he refused to believe otherwise. One glance to his right, and he found his shield, preparing to charge in for what he hoped would be the final attack. There was no time to discuss it, he would help in any way he could to make sure it was the final blow.

The two of them shared a knowing look and a nod as the prince sprinted over, gripping his blade with both hands as he got ready for the launch. No matter how many times they did this sort of stuff, there was always this nagging sense of nervousness that nested in his core. Positioning himself in front of the much larger man, he glanced over his shoulder to give his gesture of approval. And, with that, Gladio angled his greatsword beneath the prince's feet, ready to swing up when he was ready.

He waited, waited until the enemy was closer, which slowly, it was approaching the both of them, its piercing gaze locked onto them as it completely ignored the other two. "Three," the shield began counting down, his own voice giving way to his apprehension. "Two," he continued, the daemon now a small few yards away. "One," Gladio whispered, hands gripping tighter around his hilt to insure it wouldn't slip. "Get ready!" he called louder as he tensed the moment before he made his move. A grunt escaped with the effort put into the hefty action.

But, something was lecturing him in the back of his mind, he wasn't sure if he were just being paranoid, or if something seriously was not right about this. The moment the weapon left the ground, there was this strange shift in the other's weight, almost as if he wasn't properly balanced on the flat of the blade. It was too late, there was no way he could slow his momentum in time now, Noctis' feet were already off the metal, a startled and confused gasp sounding out from him as he flew at a worrying angle.

Swearing under his breath, Gladio pushed himself forward, desperately hoping he could make it before it things could get any worse. One step was able to plant itself firmly on the ground as the other was about to do the same, but, it froze mid-stride, unable to move another inch at the sound that caught his undivided attention. A single gunshot. He knew it was Prompto's, which usually wouldn't cause his blood to run cold like it was. But, with the slip-up they just had, it was the spelling of disaster.

Then it happened, the cry of pain and the 'thud' as a body hit the ground...hard. "Noct!" he called out, the same name echoed from someone near, and he knew it had to be Ignis. "Iggy, I've got him, you and Prompto finish that thing off," he nearly demanded, knowing full well they couldn't all rush to the kid's aid.

Ignis was the first to comply, instantly understanding the severity of that request. The blond, on the other hand, was hesitant, his shocked bright gaze refusing to leave his friend's still form. "Noct…" he barely uttered, focus primarily on the entry wound in his side, crimson already blossoming from the spot.

"Prompto! Go!" the brute barked, not caring how harsh he came across; they couldn't waste time by standing around fretting. The gunner visible flinched at the tone, but he didn't ask questions or argue. Brandishing his pistol, he gave one more look of pity to the raven and took off after Ignis. The brute lowered his head, gazing down at the prince's form, and he understood exactly how the blond must have felt. It was his miscalculation that had put him at risk, after all.

Shaking his head, he forced his attention on what was important, and that was making sure Noctis was alright, or, mostly alright. Gently, he placed his hand on the side of his face and turned it towards him, noticing just how pale he was already. As his free hand searched out the wound, it was easy to see why, warm substance instantly coated his hand as it flowed freely from his side.

Without thinking, he pressed the palm of his hand against it, immediately evoking a whimper of pain from him. Gladio muttered a minor apology, unsure if he could even be heard or not, but Noctis did appear to calm down a slight amount at the sound of his voice. "You're gonna be ok," he promised, the minute tremor in his tone telling a completely different story, but he ignored that one.

"Gladio, how is he?" despite his size and training, the larger man jolted at the close and unexpected voice of the adviser. The brunet crouched next to him, his attentive gaze checking the injury over without a moment wasted. Meanwhile, Prompto continued to keep his distance, like a child who broke something and was afraid of the punishment to come.

The shield glanced back at him, his tongue itching to say something, but his mouth unable to form the necessary words. 'This isn't your fault,' he wanted to say, but for some unforeseen reason, his voice just refused to comply. Instead, all he could do was offer the younger man a sad sideways smile and turn back around. But, facing this way wasn't much better, not when it entailed Ignis inspecting the wound and making sure it had passed all the way through. The sigh he relieved must have meant it had.

"I-Is he gonna be alright?" the gunner asked, timidly, his feet shuffling as he dared to inch a little bit closer. "I'm sorry, it was an accident, I-I thought it was a clear shot and…" he trailed off, his tone growing tighter and smaller with each word spoken. "Please, tell me he'll be fine," he practically begged, fists gripped at either side, nails digging into the palms of his hands. The pause was almost enough to set him into an anxiety attack, the reluctance in the answer as Ignis carefully cut his eyes behind him.

His mouth opened and closed a couple of times as he thought about the best way to put this. "He should be fine," he settled on, taking a deep breath and exhaling slowly and heavily. "However, he's already lost quite a bit of blood, and there's no telling what other kind of damage has been done underneath." Now, he lifted his gaze to Gladio, "It's too dark to travel the roads now, we'll have to find somewhere to camp for the night. And, first thing in the morning, I suggest we get him somewhere that can provide the help he needs."

Prompto's breath hitched at the insinuation of needing a hospital for this, he just said he should be fine. "B-But what about potions, those should work just as well, right?" He stepped forward, his eyes wide with both fear and shame.

"And he will be, Prompto. But, it's better to be safe," he clarified. "He will be fine," he repeated, making sure the blond understood. "Gladio, pick him up, and be careful, we cannot stay here any longer. We've already overstayed our welcome, and I'm afraid we won't be tolerated much further." Not a second after his suggestion, the cry of an emerging guest filled the air, causing the hair on the backs of their necks to stand on end.

"You don't have to tell me twice," the shield mumbled, crouching and easing his arms under the raven's upper back and knees. Gently, and as quickly as he dared, he lifted the younger man into his arms, his muscles tense from expectation of another noise of discomfort. Soon enough, he was able to stand upright without so much as a minor whine. He wasn't sure if that was a blessing or not though. While he hoped Noctis was too out of it to register the pain, it also wasn't exactly a good sign.

The brunet lead the way with Gladio close behind, easily keeping up with the pace that was set while simultaneously keeping Noctis relatively steady. Prompto stayed a few feet back, however, finding it rather difficult to travel so close without his chest clogging up with guilt. Yeah, he was fine with keeping his distance for the time being.

"We should be close to a suitable campsite by now," the adviser announced, voice laced with forced confidence. "Just a few more minutes," he added softer, hoping with everything he had that he was telling the truth. He glanced behind him, his heart clenching at the lack of change in the prince's features.

Gladio only grunted, indicating that he had heard loud and clear. And, for the remainder of the trip, no one had uttered a word, no one knew what they could say or what they should say. The only thing they were focused on was making it there in one piece. Which, was surprisingly easy considering the way things had been going thus far, but, there they were, about ten feet from those blissful runes that rekindled their spirits.

"We're almost there, then we can get you taken care of," Gladio whispered down, promising the younger man at least some sort of relief. As soon as they stepped foot on the rough surface, Ignis was laying his jacket out, offering it as temporary padding until they could get things set up and ready. It wasn't the most comfortable, but it was good enough for the time being.

With ease, the shield lowered him to the ground, gently placing his head on the folded up jacket before retracting his hold. "Gladio," Ignis called out to him, never looking at him as he dropped down to his knees, supplies in hand, "get things set up, I'll take over from here." The larger man nodded to him with a hum.

As he worked, he spared a few glances at the gunner, more out of the fact that he really didn't want to be reminded of the state that was Noctis was in. Not that the appearance of a gloomy gunner was much better though.

"Hey," he waved to the younger man, gesturing for him to join him. "About what happened, it wasn't...entirely your fault, alright?" he admitted, his shame festering once more. "It would have been a clear shot, should have been...but…" he trailed off, finding it harder than he could have imagined to put his thoughts into words.

Prompto said nothing, only gave a small nod to let it be known that it was heard, but it wasn't really getting through to him. "Doesn't matter, it still happened," he replied sulkily. Before the shield had a chance to reword things and explain what really happened, the blond was walking off, keeping his gaze low as he did so. "Imma see if Iggy needs any help," he mumbled, practically dragging his feel across the ground.

"Wait...a minute," he faded out, seeing as it was no use, he obviously wasn't in the mood for discussing things over. The gunner showed no intentions of hearing him out, wasn't willing to listen to his side of the story, the fact that it really wasn't his fault.

He rubbed the back of his neck anxiously and murmured under his breath. With what they had in front of them, he was sure there was plenty of time for talking in the near future. He cast one more look over the others as they both fussed over the prince, and there was a deep nag that he should be the one over there making things better.

* * *

Ignis finally allowed himself the luxury of taking a moment to relax, after using one potion on Noctis, the bleeding had stopped, but he still hadn't woken up, not even a twitch. He chewed on his bottom lip nervously; despite the fact that there was no evidence of the raven worsening, the fact that he wasn't improving any either put his nerves on edge. Next to him, Prompto was sitting just as anxiously, albeit a bit on the fidgety side.

"What happened back there?" he asked, not specifying exactly what he meant, but there was no need to. The brunet set the other with a watchful gaze, easily catching the small flinch and the flash behind his eyes.

Taking a deep breath, the blond looked off somewhere to his side, hesitating before answering. "I dunno," he shrugged. "That's never happened before, so I can't tell you, I didn't do anything different than usual."

The adviser hummed to himself, cutting his attention over to Gladio who had positioned himself some distance away, along the outskirts of the haven and his brows furrowed. As he shifted to get up, a whine -small and strained - pulled him right back in. "Noct?" he spoke softly, leaning over him as one hand reached to cup his face gently. "Can you hear me?" The younger man's face contorted into a mask of pain and discomfort and another groan was forced out of his throat.

It took a moment, longer than either of them liked, but eventually a sliver of dark blue revealed itself, staring intently at Ignis, obviously trying to make out his features and put a name to them. "Hmm," was all he got out before his eye squeezed back closed when a shudder of agony wracked through him.

"No going back to sleep buddy," the blond chuckled lightly, voice cracking from the forced enthusiasm. He was on his other side, looking from him to the other, unsure of what to do himself. "Noct? You still there?"

"Mmhm," he replied, the noise sounding as though it alone was a struggle to get out, and it probably was if he was hurting as much as he appeared to be. He tried to take a deep breath, having it cut off by a pang of fire and a hiss. "Dammit," he swore between clenched teeth, a hand appearing on his chest to prevent him from moving any further.

The adviser kept him in place, denying him permission to move. "Try and stay still, you were injured pretty bad out there." He kept his tone calm and light, making certain not to instill panic in him. "Tell me, how are you feeling? How much pain are you in?" he asked seriously, needing to know if there was anything else ailing the raven. During his inspection, he saw nothing other than the obvious, but one could never be too safe.

The prince thought about it for a moment; if he were telling the truth, everything felt heavy and he wanted nothing more than to go back to sleep for a few years. If only that were an option. "Fine," he stubbornly replied, instantly earning himself a scowl and a scoff. He waved a weak hand of apology. "Like shit," he corrected with a sideways grin. "Tired, sore and all that," he summed up, being completely honest this time.

"I see," Ignis replied, arms crossed while he sat back. "And, you're sure there's nothing else?" he questioned one more time, slightly skeptical.

"Yeah," Noctis responded, starting to get impatient with all the questions. He opened his eyes back a fraction of the way, this time able to make out their blurred faces. "The hell happened anyway?" he asked, not recalling what had gone so wrong.

Even as obstructed as his vision was, he could still sense the shift in atmosphere, things suddenly falling into a sour mood. "Well," Prompto stated, hands clenching at his pants, "that would by m-"

"It's my fault," Gladio interrupted, refusing to let the other blame himself for this, not when he wasn't completely innocent himself, anyway. "It was when I launched you, something didn't go right and the balance was off." He glanced to the blond who was now staring at him wide eyed.

"But, it was me who-"

Again, he was cut off. "And, that wouldn't have even happened of things had gone smoothly, which they should have." He returned the hard glare, silently telling the gunner to stand down on this. "If it had gone like it should have, that bullet would have never made contact." he emphasized, turning his attention back to the raven. "So, if it's anyone's fault, it's mine."

Noctis simply didn't reply, all he did was take a slow inhale and carefully release it. It was like hearing that didn't even phase him, like it wasn't a big deal that he could have died. "Mistakes happen," he whispered, finding it more difficult to keep his eyes open.

"'Mistakes' don't get people almost killed," Gladio said sternly. "This was an accident derived from carelessness, and it's not acceptable. I'm supposed to be your shield, not the reason you were put in harm's way." Slowly, his voice rose, his self-accusations starting to take him over.

A hand on his shoulder beckoned him to calm down, and he glanced over to see Prompto now right next to him, his blues pleading him to take it easy. "Gladio," he muttered, "maybe Noctis is right, things happen."

"Awfully casual words for someone who was on the verge of a mental breakdown for the same reason, don'tcha think?" the larger man retorted, void of humor. "And, it's not alright, if it were off by just a little bit more-. The point is, It was an accident that could have easily been avoided," he finished, done with the conversation.

Prompto's hand slid away as the brute turned away, heading back for his spot along the edge of camp. For a moment, he let his hand hover, slightly taken aback by the man's aloofness. It was just so odd coming from him for a change. "He'll be alright," Ignis commented, "he was just worried, and he gets like that when he blames himself for things. So, with due time, he will get over it."

"Yeah," the blond sighed, heavily dropping himself to sit next to the raven. "Glad to see you finally awake, Noct," he smiled, pushing everything else from his mind for the time being.

"How long was I out?" he asked groggily, his voice still not wanting to resound as much as he wished it would.

Ignis thought about it for a moment and checked the time. "No more than a few hours," he replied, sounding rather pleased about that. He had expected him to be out at least until morning, and this was more than he could have hoped for. Although, the coloring of the raven's face wasn't something to be taken lightly. "You should get some more rest, Your Highness, it still stands that you're going to go and get checked out by a professional. Bullet wounds are not to be taken lightly, especially given where you were hit."

Even in his current state, the prince had the energy to roll his eyes at the idea of seeing a doctor. "I don't see why I would need to," he stubbornly countered, his hand unconsciously going to his side to try and alleviate some of the throbbing ache. "It'll be fine, I'm sure."

"You say that…" Ignis shook his head at the amount of relentlessness the kid held. Usually it was a nice quality, when it came to things that didn't involve his well-being. "You lost a lot of blood, Noct, potions won't fix that. So, if for nothing else, we need to make sure that won't be causing any problems."

"Sorry, but I'm with Iggy on this one," the blond backed him up, for once not taking the prince's side.

Now it was Noctis' turn to scoff, letting his unwavering opinion on the matter be plainly known. Couldn't say he was surprised though, it was just like the brunet to take things a bit too far with the protectiveness. But, right now, he was far too tired and drained to complain and protest. Hopefully by morning he would have improved enough to convince them otherwise. For now, it was most likely best to take Ignis' advice and get some more shuteye while he could.

In less than a minute, his light snores filled the air, his face now relaxed as he fell into a now rested slumber instead of the troubled comatose state he was in previously. Watching this happen right in front of them was quite the sight to behold, only he could knock out as quickly as that, and it was honestly quite impressive.

Satisfied, Ignis looked over to the shield, noticing that he hadn't moved an inch since sauntering over to be alone. Well, when the man sulked, he sulked almost on par with the prince, which was saying something. "I'll be right back, keep an eye on him and call me over if he needs anything," he instructured, pushing himself up. For a moment, he stood there, letting the feeling flow back into his extremities.

"Gladio?" he spoke softly once he was close enough, not waiting for an invitation to take a seat next to the shield. "A moment?"

"Do I have a choice?" he asked, but didn't deny the offer.

Ignis let the peace settle in for a few seconds before talking again, giving things a chance to grow more comfortable. "You know you can't dwell on this forever, right? What's happened has happened, and there isn't a thing that can be done about it now. All you can do is lear-"

"Cut me the speech, will ya?" he cut off, already knowing what the man was going to say before he had even started. "I already know the whole shabang, and all the little words of wisdom, and I get it. But, it's not gonna change a single thing knowing all that. You can repeat it all you want, I can tell myself that, but it's not gonna miraculously make me drop it."

At that, the brunet took a deep breath, it would have been easier if he had just pretended to listen. "You're right, although, it's not going to stop me from reminding you a few times."

Gladio let out an amused chuckle, "Yeah, I know that. Would be concerned if ya didn't."

"Certainly. That's all I wanted to say though. I should be getting back to Noct though. Also, you should be getting to bed soon as well," he suggested, noticing the slight darkness under his eyes.

The shield shrugged it off. "Same could be said for you too, you're the one that's going to be driving after all. You go to sleep, Prompto and I will keep an eye on things." The man didn't agree instantly, but after a moment, he sighed, having no argument against it. The point he made was logical, and who was he to fight against reason.

"As long as you two are alright with that."

"Of course we are, we're the ones that put him in this situation, aren't we?" he raised an eyebrow, and his face told it was out of humor, but the look in his eye was completely opposite. "Don't worry about it Iggs, we'll take care of it, and if anything happens, we won't hesitate to fetch you."

The other man softened at that, relaxing his shoulders a small amount. "Very well, I shall leave him in your capable hands." He went to head towards the tent and stopped mid step, "And Gladio? Make sure the both of you understand that neither of you are at fault, alright?"

Without a word, the shield waved a dismissive hand, but the strategist could see the playfulness behind it. "'Night," he mumbled, getting a nod in return. When he was alone again, he exhaled heavily and slowly pushed himself back up, earning a few pops in the process. Composing himself, he stretched his limbs and looked to the other two, Prompto practically hovering over the other as if looking away would spell disaster. Guess he was still dead-set on blaming himself as well.

As he thought about it, maybe they were both to blame for it, it couldn't have happened without the both of them slipping up somehow. One thing lead to another, that's all there was to it. It was no one's and both of their fault at the same time. Somehow, that hit him as more right than the whole, 'no one is to blame' idea. Someone was always at fault when things went wrong, it doesn't matter the degree, it was just how things worked. Or, it was easier pinning it on someone, even if that someone was oneself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ~OK, I AM ACCEPTING REQUESTS ONCE AGAIN~
> 
> (Only accepting a few more now.)
> 
> And, I'm sorry and hate to do this, but from now on, I will message people before I do your story, and if I don't get a reply, it will be skipped until I hear from you again. Only reason I feel the need to do this is because multiple times, I have written a request, and the person would never show up again. And, honestly, these take time, and if the person that asked doesn't stick around, then I don't want to take the time to do it.
> 
> ~laurelilith (I think this user no longer exists, so it has been skipped)
> 
> Queue as of now:
> 
> FredrikssonT  
MsChievous  
NicoleBL  
Silverheartlugia2000  
Bagpipes5k  
ADyingFlower  
KHDreamfan  
Rain446  
Farsky  
Rubue  
Wilting Worries  
knowledge-or-death  
ImmortalMarshal  
mabver321  
Shiary  
redpandaaprince  
Defiant Drift  
Prompto-cam  
xYukiNoYume  
__C'estletemps_  
Mirajane92
> 
> ~IF YOU REQUESTED AND YOUR NAME IS NOT ON THIS LIST, PLEASE LET ME KNOW, I SOMETIMES LOSE TRACK~


	36. Nothing Changes Who You Are Pt. 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Prompto nearly drowns, the others have to do what they can in order to save him. This is from an earlier story, only told from the guys' point of view. So, sorry it's a bit short, but I didn't wanna drag it on and only covered the part where Prompto was unconscious. I hope that's alright. ;w;

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta read by: Sinikka_von_Wolperting
> 
> Request for: FredrikssonT

He wasn't sure what it was, but something caught his attention, ungracefully pulling him from his sleep. Gladio groaned slightly against the disturbance, screwing his eyes closed tighter in an attempt to block it out and return to his peaceful slumber. His awareness was more than a little delayed, but within a few moments, he was able to figure out just what had woken him up. He was fairly certain his arm had been nudged aside, and him being the light sleeper he is, that was enough to yank him to the world of wakefulness.

The shield pried one eye open and took a peek. Eyes still slightly blurred, the only defining feature he could make out was a bunch of blond hair. Yawning, he shrugged it off as Prompto merely having to use the bathroom and turned over to his other side. But, try as he might, he just couldn't return to that blissful paradise, something nagged at that back of his mind and prevented him from slipping into unconsciousness.

The man wasn't sure how long he was lying there, but there was a voice in the back of his mind that was screaming, yelling and pestering that something was very wrong. There wasn't anything that would cause him to sense it, but it was still there, jabbing him with a sharp stick. And, the more he lied there and thought about it, the more he wondered what was taking the gunner so long. Surely he should have been back by now, unless something happened… He shook his head, he was just being paranoid. With all the stuff they endured day after day, it was no wonder he thought that way.

Unable to stand it any longer, he begrudgingly slipped out from under his cover and pulled himself to peer outside, his eyes taking the time in adjusting to the change in lighting. At first, he saw nothing, no sign of anyone or anything. It was as still and peaceful as it was before they had called it a night. He hummed to himself as he gave the area one more quick scan.

Then, he saw something, it was small and seemed insignificant, but it instantly had his focus, his intent and unwavering focus. "What the…" he muttered to himself, squinting to get a better look at whatever it was. It wasn't until it moved that alarm bells were going off in his head and he was up in another second.

"Ignis!" he shoulder, rushing over to give the man one solid shake before ungracefully pushing his way outside. Behind him, he picked up a few incoherent questions from the groggy adviser. And, although he couldn't quite make them out, he blurted out a quick, "Prompto's in trouble, get a fire started and get ready to help." His tone was demanding and loud, causing the prince to rouse awake as well.

The adviser almost instantly woke up at that, his body nearly acting on its own as he jumped up to his feet, further rustling a sluggish prince. "What's going on?" he asked, heading out right after the brute.

Gladio never answered, in fact, he was already off, too far to really make out what the brunet was saying. Ignis' gaze trailed off, wandering off in the direction the other was headed, and his eyes widened at the scene. It was pretty far out there, too far for comfort and the pit of his stomach filled with lead. His blood was replaced with ice and he switched over to autopilot as he got right to getting a fire started.

The shield was wading through the water in a matter of seconds, swearing under his breath as the currents gripped him and tried to prevent him from going any faster. "Come on," he muttered, growing frustrated with every step he took. And, soon enough, he was forced to start swimming, in too deep to reach the bottom any longer. Fear wrapped around his heart when he could no longer see those struggles on the water's surface, the lake becoming eerily still aside from his own desperate paddles.

'Prompto, what the hell have you done?' he asked himself, his mind running circles within his skull, all the possible outcomes playing out mentally. By the time another minute went by, he was fairly certain he was in the spot he saw him. But, there was no time to think about it, there was no more time to waste. All he could do was pray he was in the right place and that he made it in time. The lack of bubble rising to the surface though didn't bode well.

Taking a deep breath, he dove under, his heart beating what felt like a thousand times a second as panic really started to overwhelm his senses now. Down he went, for what had to have been an eternity. Just as he was beginning to lose hope, to fear that he really was too late, he spotted it, the blond's still form as it continued to sink farther away. His face was set in a frozen state of tranquility, features pale and almost unrealistic in appearance.

He was so close, but he continued to drift farther away, just out of his reach. His fingers just barely glanced over Prompto's, brushing over before he sank deeper. Gritting his teeth, the shield pushed himself downward, putting everything he had into this dive. At last, he had his hand clasped tightly around the gunner's in a death grip. Relieved, he yanked him up and towards him, eagerly wrapping his arm around his form in order to pull him in close, refusing to run the risk of losing that grasp.

With the blond now securely against him, he kicked his feet with ferocity, working his way back to the surface as quickly as he was able. He was almost there, just a few more feet and they would be in the clear, or he prayed they would. 'Hang in there,' he begged to himself, his heart growing as limp as the body in his arm. Even underwater, it was as if he was losing warmth by the second.

Gladio took a deep and greedy breath, his lungs basically on fire after just a minute, and his limbs weighed heavily on him from all the exertion. And there was still a great distance to swim before they could get Prompto the help he needed. He pushed himself past the point of exhaustion. Doing this alone was one thing, but accomplishing this while bearing the weight of another at the the same time was almost more than even he could do.

"We're almost there," he promised, all his muscles on fire and throbbing, "just a little bit farther, and you'll be alright."

From the shore, the prince watched on in stunned horror, his body refusing to move and his mouth denying him the usage of words. His jaw hung open, his intense gaze locked onto his friend being hauled out of the lake by the brute...unmoving. His chest was still, his form dripping wet and his skin an unnatural shade. He looked positively dead.

"P-Prompto?" he whispered, managing to stumble forward a couple of steps. He faltered, almost losing his footing, but was able to save himself. Before he had a chance to do anything, Gladio was shoving past him, not bothering to spare him a single glance as he rushed the gunner over to the fire.

"Iggy, I need you over here!" Gladio barked, lowering his burden onto the spread out cover next to the flames. "He's not breathing," he choked out, voice cracking uncharacteristically as he stepped back to allow the adviser some room to work and do what he could.

In the background, Noctis continued to stand dumbfoundedly, staring on uselessly and glued to the spot. He couldn't take a single breath, his chest locking up and not allowing the entry of air. Nausea crept up, swirling in his guts, and he was certain he'd throw up at any second now, his insides shriveling up. "W-What's happening?" he asked, the question never reaching anyone aside from himself. "What the hell is going on?" he asked louder, finally getting the attention of his shield.

"Noctis," Gladio uttered, strolling over, effectively standing between him and the scene. "I-I'm not gonna sugarcoat this, but it doesn't look good, alright? But, you need to stay calm and keep a level head. Freaking out isn't gonna do anyone any favors." He placed both hands on either of his shoulders and gave the younger man a gentle shake, urging him to look his way. "Do you understand?"

The raven hesitated, gaze flickering to the blond as Ignis bore over him, both his hands cross over his chest. "Yeah," he mouthed, barely a sound coming out. Slowly, he forced himself to close his eyes, to block it all out even of for just a moment. 'Don't you dare,' he threatened to himself, his hands clenching at his sides as nails bit into palms.

He had no idea how long he stood there, how long he listened to Ignis pleading the blond to just take a breath, or how long he watched his still form. But it had to have been a lifetime, he refused to accept that it had only been about a minute. Then, out of nowhere, they all heard it, a sound so beautiful, yet pain-fill, called out to them. He was alive, he took a single gasp before coughing, choking on excess water. Immediately, the adviser rolled him over to his side and placed a single supportive hand upon his back, holding him steady while he composed himself, or as much as he could.

"Easy," Ignis coaxed, hand now working small circles on the center of his back. "Just try to relax, everything's fine."

Both Gladio and Noctis let out a heavy breath of relief, but they didn't quite allow themselves the luxury to relax just yet. He may have been breathing on his own now, but it was obvious he was still far away from lucidity. Prompto was mumbling to himself, nothing making sense, the words not even sounding like real words at this point.

"Is he alright?" the raven asked instantly, too enthusiastic just from the fact that he was talking, albeit in a butchering way, but he was making some sort of sound that wasn't choking. "Ignis, is he alright?" he repeated, swiftly losing patience.

"I don't know!" the adviser snapped back. "He was out for a long time, he's alive, but that's all I know. I don't know if there's further damage from going without oxygen for so long, and until he fully wakes up, we won't know." The man never took his attention off the gunner, continuing to sooth him the best he could without causing any more discomfort. Once he was taking in somewhat steady breaths, the brunet carefully turned him over to his back, placing a hand on his chest to make sure things were still going relatively fine.

The raven bit back a response, fighting back his need to push things. He understood that Ignis was right, that there was nothing they could do anymore until he woke up fully. But, he still longed for answers, needed to know exactly what was going on.

"We should probably get him back inside," Gladio offered, knowing he'd be more comfortable within the confines of the tent, at least it was a place that was more familiar than out in the middle of the night. Whether he was aware or not, he was sure he would be able to tell a difference. The adviser nodded, giving him the go ahead. And, with that, the shield scooped Prompto back in his arms, inwardly wincing at how frail and appeared in his hold. It was as though the smallest movement would snap him in half.

Sighing heavily, the man hauled him over and ducked inside, laying the gunner down as carefully as he were able. "Here ya go," he breathed out, grabbing the cover that was handed to him by the prince. Draping it over the kid, he stepped back and glanced him over one last time. "What have you gotten yourself into?" he mumbled to himself, shaking his head and strolling back out.

Left alone with Prompto, Noctis stepped a bit closer, being careful about his movements from not wanting to disturb him. He lowered himself down to sit next to him, his hand already reaching out, but hesitating an inch from his shoulder. He hadn't thought it possible for him to appear even more fragile, but here he was proving that wrong. Slowly, he lowered his hand, allowing it to rest down over the cover. He took a deep breath and prepared himself for a long night, waiting until the other finally decided he wanted to actually wake up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ~AND I BELIEVE IT IS TIME TO CLOSE REQUESTS~
> 
> (I apologize, but they're starting to really ad up now. xD)
> 
> And, I'm sorry and hate to do this, but from now on, I will message people before I do your story, and if I don't get a reply, it will be skipped until I hear from you again. Only reason I feel the need to do this is because multiple times, I have written a request, and the person would never show up again. And, honestly, these take time, and if the person that asked doesn't stick around, then I don't want to take the time to do it.
> 
> ~laurelilith (I think this user no longer exists, so it has been skipped)
> 
> Queue as of now:
> 
> MsChievous  
NicoleBL  
Silverheartlugia2000  
Bagpipes5k  
ADyingFlower  
KHDreamfan  
Rain446  
Farsky  
Rubue  
Wilting Worries  
knowledge-or-death  
ImmortalMarshal  
mabver321  
Shiary  
redpandaaprince  
Defiant Drift  
Prompto-cam  
xYukiNoYume  
__C'estletemps_  
Mirajane92  
Brooke3131  
Free_Bird  
MasterThiefWolf
> 
> ~IF YOU REQUESTED AND YOUR NAME IS NOT ON THIS LIST, PLEASE LET ME KNOW, I SOMETIMES LOSE TRACK~


	37. Sodden 'n Sick

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Ignis disregards Prompto's concerns about the weather, he ends up feeling a little guilty when the blond falls sick with a cold as a result.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta read by: Sinikka_von_Wolperting
> 
> Request for: laurelilith

His face pressed firmly against his window, the blond groaned outwardly to himself, eyes skimming over the subtly darkening sky. Idly, his fingers tapped against the surface of the door as he casually started humming to himself, slowly growing louder and louder until someone finally gave him the light of day.

"Something bothering you?" Ignis asked in minor annoyance, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. He glanced over when Prompto straightened himself back up now that someone was talking.

He leaned back in his seat and crossed his arms over his chest. "You sure this can't wait until...maybe tomorrow?" he asked, getting right to the point, adding a nervous and forced chuckle at the end.

"It cannot," the adviser replied without thought. "Time isn't on our side as of late, and any unimportant matters shall be dealt with as quickly as possible so we can get back on track."

The gunner rolled his eyes and leaned his head back against its previous resting place. "Doesn't seem like one more day would hurt," he mumbled. "You know it's gonna rain soon, right? Do you really wanna search for tags in the rain? I mean, everything will be shining, it'd be preeeeetty hard to find a piece of metal in something like that," he rambled on, suggestion heavy in his words.

"I'm sure we'll be fine," the brunet sighed. "I little bit of water never hurt anyone."

"As far as you know," Prompto replied, pursing his lips.

From the back, Gladio leaned forward, his face inches from the blond's. "What's the matter," he teased, "afraid the big bad rain is gonna mess up your do?" To add insult to injury, the brute ruffled his blond locks, earning himself a swift swat and a huff.

"Cut it out," the blond muttered, hands already working to fix the displaced strands. "This took all morning ya'know."

The prince scoffed at that. "Yeah, trust me, we all know how long it took," he deadpanned, nearly glaring at the other. "Hey, Ignis," he changed the subject, re-positioning himself, "how much longer until we get there? I'm starting to get a little stiff back here."

"Well, if Your Highness didn't fall asleep for half an hour, then perhaps that wouldn't be an issue," the older man snidely responded, smirking to himself at the expression the other obtained. "But, to answer your question, we should be there within the next five minutes, so I do hope you're fully awake now." Not getting an answer in return, he took that as his approval and fell back into a comfortable silence.

Just as he said, a few more minutes flew by before he was slowing to a stop and pulling over. "And, here we are," he announced, the first to exit the Regalia. The others were close behind, all stretching and complaining to themselves with a chorus of pops.

"My ass is killin' me," Gladio groaned.

"And I could use a new back," Prompto chimed in, working the kinks out. "Oh man, I'm really gonna feel this later," he squeezed out the moment before a resounding pop.

The adviser shifted his weight and waited until they were finished, tapping his foot with an impatient, "I can almost guarantee you three will live." He received a couple more underhanded gripes, but it didn't take much longer for them to be ready to get going. They fell in line behind the most sensible of the three, and with that they were on their way. "Do watch your step," he called over his shoulder, "the land out here is more than a little treacherous. What, with the near constant drizzling in these parts."

Speaking of...Prompto made his distress known at the first sign of rain, the first few drops striking the side of his face, as if it was out to get him personally. "Mannn, this sucks," he muttered, lifting a hand to shield his hands as it slowly picked up. Within minutes, it was pouring, the four of them drenched without a second to spare.

"I feel inclined to agree," Noctis said, brushing sodden strands from his forehead and pulled his jacket tighter around himself. "What is with this weather anyway, it's one way one second, and completely different the next."

From the front, Ignis waved his hand for the others to hurry it up. He didn't want to admit it, but he was just as eager to get out of they as they were, if not more so. His clothes were soaked through, and his glasses were damn near impossible to see through. "As soon as we find what we came after, we can get to a hotel and dry off," he promised, hoping that would help light a fire under them.

"Ah yes, and a nice hot shower, comfy beds, and a cup of hot chocolate," the blond said dreamily, already relishing in the idea of it. "Alright, let's get this over with," he added with new found enthusiasm, speeding up until he was ahead of all the others. "Come on, we don't have all day," he urged the others, waving a hand to hurry them up.

With their new pace set, they were making progress much more efficiently than before, covering a lot of ground in minutes. And, they reached their location in no time and were now on the search for the tags, all of them with their noses almost touching the earth. It took a few minutes, and multiple complaints and groans, but eventually, Gladio raised the metallic pieces triumphantly. There was a collective sigh of relief, a burden lifting from their shoulders.

"Freedom at last!" the gunner cheered, both fists in the air as he wasted not a single moment before turning on the spot and heading back towards the car. "Time to get out of this soggy excuse of a forest." The others merely shook their heads, but they'd be lying if they didn't agree. Not to mention the downpour had nearly doubled in intensity, the ground was now squishing under his feet.

By the time they got back to the Regalia, they were shivering and drenched to the bone. "Heeeeeeat," the prince whined from the back, sinking in his seat and wrapping his arms snugly around himself.

"Will you give me a moment to get it started?" Ignis replied with a slow blink of irritation. Without another word, they fell into a silence, all of them too busy trying to retain their body heat to carry out a conversation. The drive was slow and tedious, and it was evening before they caught sight of a hotel, but they finally made it, and they could finally rid themselves of their misery. Ignis swiftly made the purchase and lead the way to their room, the other through almost shoving by in an attempt to get to the shower first.

In the end, it was Noctis that arrived first, instantly shutting and locking the bathroom door behind him. "While he's in there, I suggest the rest of us at least get changed," Ignis said, peeling his still damp jacket from his body. "I'll get some hot beverages started."

His suggest went completely ignored, Prompto hopping on one of the beds and spreading his arms over it. Before he had the chance to get too comfortable, Gladio made sure to let his disapproval known. "Hey," he exclaimed, slamming his hands on the other side of the bed. "Get off the bed with those clothes on, I'm not sleeping next to a sodden lump."

The other wasn't too pleased with the demand, but he figured the man had a point. "Fine," he whined, slowly rolling his way off the mattress. He eased his way to the floor and just lied there instead. Damn he was exhausted, who knew walking through rain could drain a person. "This better?" he asked, eyes closed in bliss.

"No," the shield replied, walking around to his side to gaze down at him. "You still need to get changed. Come on, I'm not your dad, I shouldn't have to tell you what to do," he emphasized his point with a quick kick to his foot.

The blond sighed heavily, but he obeyed, mostly because it was starting to really get uncomfortable. "Ok, ok, I'm going," he said, flapping a dismissive hand. Grabbing his bag, he dragged it back with him. "Uh, mind, you know, turning around?" he asked timidly, making a turning motion with his finger. "Privacy," he clarified, quickening up the movement.

By the time he was changed in dry clothing and sprawled back out, the prince was emerging from the steam, and just in time for the beverages. Gladio took the opportunity to hop in himself, seeing as Prompto had already fallen asleep, never so much as twitching with all the bustling going on around him. Someone at least had the courtesy to drape a cover over him and scoot him over to his side of the bed, making just enough room for another to squeeze in next to him. It wasn't too much longer until the rest followed his example, ready to put an end to this dreary and tedious day. They all hunkered down, out in a matter of minutes.

* * *

The blond groaned with the first signs of daylight, the rays penetrating straight to his sensitive eyes. He could've sworn he didn't get a single wink, his eyes refused to move. Hell, his whole body protested against doing anything except going back to sleep. Which he would have happily obliged if it weren't for the incessant pounding in his head.

"You're awake rather early," came the pristine greeting of the adviser, along with the fresh scent of coffee. The blond only gave a pitiful moan in response, working up the strength to pull the cover over his head and shrink beneath it. "Thought it was too good to be true," Ignis sighed, carrying on with his morning.

Meanwhile, Prompto cleared his throat, trying to scratch that dry sensation from within. Those subtle attempts quickly escalated into coughs, and before he knew it, he was sitting up, struggling to get it to stop. "Dam-it," he choked out, voice hoarse and barely audible. Now that he was upright, all the misery basically hit him at once, overwhelming his senses and he had no choice but to plop back down.

"Prompto, are you feeling alright?" the brunet asked, stopping whatever it was he was busying himself with when he noticed the other's distress. He didn't wait for an answer, just strolled on over, hand at the ready.

The gunner was quick to refuse the touch. "Yeah," he croaked out, putting on the most confident look he could muster, but the slight fog over his gaze wasn't very convincing. "I'll be fine," he repeated, "just...tired." He yawned as if to prove his point. While his eyes were closed, the older man took his chance to press the back of his hand against the other's forehead.

His eyes narrowed and brows knit as Prompto pulled away. It didn't matter, he got the information he needed from that single second of contact. "You have a slight fever," he announced, tone completely flat as if he was stating the obvious. Which, from the subtle flush of his cheeks, he was. "I'll ask you again, are you feeling alright?" He was leaving no room for lies, staring the younger man straight in the eyes, prying for an honest reply.

He thought about it for a moment, and fought against the temptation to play it off, but he was already done for. Once Ignis was convinced something was wrong, there was no swaying him. Breathing deeply, he leaned back. "Like crap," he muttered, closing his eyes longingly, satisfied that it at least lessened the pain in his skull. "And, all I wanna do is sleep, but my body won't let me," he added with a slight whiny undertone. Abruptly, his eyes snapped back open, and he sat up swiftly. "But, it's not that bad," he promised. "There's no need to worry about it, probably just a cold or something from all that rain. We can still leave as soon as we're ready." Even if he wasn't his best, he still didn't want to risk being a burden.

"If you aren't well, then I don't think traveling is the best option," the adviser replied sternly, his caring side shining brightly. The other groaned at that response, not that he had expected anything different.

But, there was no arguing, his mind was made up. "If you say so," he mumbled, easing his way back down and tugging the cover back up to his neck. He wasn't going to lie, he was pretty relieved to be staying here for a bit, but there was still that sliver of guilt that wouldn't go away.

"Guess I should put some tea on, that should help with the sore throat," Ignis thought aloud, hand on his chin. He pushed himself up, head tilted downward in thought as he strolled around to the other side and back towards the stove. Prompto watched as he strolled away, his attention only being pulled away when the man next to him stirred, awoken by all the commotion.

Gladio grunted quietly with a stretch, a yawn crept its way up and he carefully pushed himself up to be propped on one arm. "Wha time is it?" he asked, slightly groggy, one hand slapping along the side table for his phone.

"Just passed seven," the adviser replied before he had the chance to check for himself.

The shield mumbled something under his breath, clearly still half asleep, but he begrudgingly got to his feet anyway to stretch out his back. Glancing over, he almost had to do a double take to see a couple of blue orbs staring back at him. "Is the world ending?" he questioned in amusement. "It's not even the middle of the day yet.

Prompto only shrugged, not wanting to talk and risk coughing again if he didn't have to. He sniffed a couple of times and blinked heavily. "He's sick," Ignis called over, getting right to the point. "Must have caught something yesterday," he added with a sigh, pouring the now heated water into a mug. As he stirred the contents, the shield hummed to himself.

"Not the resilient type, I guess," he chuckled lightly, stepping to the side when Ignis returned. "Hey, is any coffee made?" he asked, already headed towards the pot. He didn't get an answer, but he was welcomed with the blissful beverage already brewed. "Don't know why I had to even ask," he mumbled.

"Careful, it's hot," the brunet warned, pressing the ceramic cup into the gunner's hands. The latter sat back up and took in a generous inhale of the aroma. Not typically a fan of tea, he had to admit, it did smell quite inviting. Just from the scent alone, he could feel some of the fog in his head clear away. "Sip at it, and drink all of it if you are able," he continued to instruct, trusting the other to handle this himself.

Nodding, Prompto took the first sip, the slight burn causing a bit of a flinch. But the taste, it almost made him want to down it in one go. But, he refrained himself, knowing full well a scorched mouth and throat would not have been worth it. "Thanks," he muttered, taking another sip.

"Are you up for eating anything?" the older man asked once he was sure the blond had this under control. He got a small shake of the head as he continued drinking his tea. "Well, you can try, soup it is," he declared, and Prompto was fairly certain he never even had a say on the matter.

"Keep it down," a muffled and annoyed disembodied voice drifted from the other bed, the prince's face buried deep in his pillow.

Now strolling back to join the others, Gladio paused next to him, his intense gaze staring down with one brow arched. "Isn't it about time you got up anyway?" he asked, using his free hand to prod at the lump of covers.

Noctis groaned and turned away in irritation. "Cut it out, it's too early," he complained, voice hardly audibly under the safety of his warmth. He would have easily been able to fall back asleep, but the return of the cough prevented him from doing any such thing. Curiosity getting the better of him, he peeked out from under, finding his friend sitting up in the other bed, one hand over his mouth as he tried to muffle the sound.

It took a few seconds, but the expression on the raven's face fell. "You alright over there?" he asked, finally emerging a little from his confines.

Prompto waved a dismissive hand, a small smile on his face. "Yeah, fine," he croaked, catching the disbelieving look on the other's face. "Really, it's just a cold," he assured, "nothing to get all worried about." He cleared his throat one last time and took more sips of his tea, sighing when it's soothing touch slid down and eased the scratchiness. "Wouldn't mind some more of this stuff though," he uttered to himself, saddened to see there already wasn't much left.

"Not to worry, I made plenty," Ignis promised, pleased that the blond was enjoying his concoction so much, can't say that was expected. "Though, I'd prefer if you were to try and eat something before anymore of that stuff."

He missed the subtle eye roll, but Prompto complied. "Alright, whatever you say," he half complained, setting the empty cup aside and slipping back to lie down. Damn, his head was starting to kill him now, the constant throbbing really was not letting up. And, was it just him, or was it getting unbearably hot in here?

The brute had to have noticed his clear discomfort as he strolled over the moment the disgruntled whine reached his ears. He didn't even bother asking for permission before he, too, had his hand against the other's face, humming at the warmth that radiated from the younger. "You're on fire," he announced, drawing his hand back with a look of concern. "Hey, Iggy," he called out, leaning over a little, "how are we looking in terms of medicine?" Prompto dramatically groaned at the mention of that.

"We should be stocked up," the adviser replied.

"Is that really necessary?" the blond asked, expression set into a scowl. "Honestly, it's fine," he tried persuading, locking eyes with the other in hopes of looking confident. However, one ill-timed sneeze, and the contact was broken.

The shield smirked to himself and pushed himself off the edge of the bed. "Yeah, I'm not buying it," he deadpanned, on his way over to their things.

"Come on," Prompto complained, suddenly feeling much better if it meant he didn't have to take any of that garbage. "Can't I just take the tea and soup, isn't that enough?"

"No," Gladio instantly replied, a couple bottles in hand. "One for the fever, and one for the cough, how does that sound, nothing too extreme." He shook one of them in his hand, as if that would change the other's mind. "Quit being a baby, it's just a couple of pills," he said, positioning himself back on the bed and dumping the appropriate dosage in the palm of his hand. "Hey, Noct, make yourself useful and get a glass of water."

Prompto couldn't help but shrink a little at being waited on like this it was just embarrassing. "Really, I can do things myself," he reminded, face flushing slightly, but it went unnoticed with the rosy tint that already resided there. But, no one listened, they all continued to cater to him, to the point where it was starting to grate on his nerves painfully.

"Guys!" he cried out, mustering as much volume as his body would allow. "Stop, really, it's not a big deal. It's just a cold, what is with all of you?" The others fell silent, the three of them exchanging shocked glances.

It stayed that way until the brunet spoke up first. "Apologies, I didn't mean to be...hovering. Guess I feel a little responsible about this, after all." He received a few confused looks, so he elaborated. "I hate to say this, but maybe you were right, it would have been more wise to wait in searching out those tags. And, because of this, you're paying the price."

"Ignis," the blond spoke up, "it's a cold, it's nothing serious. Just a stuffy nose, cough and headache, nothing I can't handle." He shrugged as if to brush the whole ordeal off. Well, when it was said that way, it was a little extreme the way they were behaving. "But," he picked back up, "I wouldn't complain to taking it easy for a day." Besides, they were already going through the trouble, he didn't want to be rude and come off as unappreciative. "Just, there's no need to do everything for me, alright?"

Gladio sighed as he handed the medicine over. "That sounds good to me, I wasn't looking forward to being your slave anyway, so that's a load off my back," he teased, taking the offered water from the prince and handing it over.

"Yeah, I'm not sure how good I'd be at with the whole taking care of others thing," Noctis scoffed.

"Indeed, His Highness can hardly look after himself," the adviser joked, stirring the contents of his pot. "Also, I do hope everyone is fine with soup, seeing as I made enough for everyone."

Gladio shrugged, "Can't complain, as long as it's edible." Noctis felt inclined to agree, after all, now probably wasn't the time to be picky about things. With all that in order, or portioned out the servings and everyone came forth to take their own bowl. All except for Prompto, who had his hauled over by Noctis. He muttered his thanks and dug in.

"So, if all is well come morning, I suggest we head out," the adviser spoke up between spoonfuls. "I figure I can head out today to drop off those tags, don't need the lot of us for that. Then, with that taken care of, we can carry on with what's important tomorrow."

They were all in mutual agreement, then again, no one was really up for a drive. They didn't say it, but they were all craving a bit of a break. It could have come under more ideal circumstances, but it would do. "Will you all be able to take care of yourselves for about an hour?" he asked, a touch of humor in his tone.

"No problem, we'll manage," Prompto answered after a small yawn. "I'm probably just going to call it a day anyway."

"It's only nine," Noctis replied. The blond merely shrugged, not caring about time, it was unimportant. It could be in the afternoon, or seven in the morning, and he'd still be ready for a nap. "But, I don't think it would hurt, I might do that same."

Gladio grunted to himself. "See, they'll be knocked out the whole time, no need to concern yourself with them." That put the brunet's mind at ease, and he gave them all a nod before getting to his feet and collecting the keys and tags. "And, if by some miracle, we do need anything, we won't hesitate to give you a call."

Before the adviser had the chance to leave, Prompto spoke up to stop him. "Oh, Ignis, thanks by the way. And, I don't blame anyone for this, alright? I don't exactly have the best immune system, so I'm sure it was bound to happen no matter what," he slightly chuckled, but it was true. Ignis offered a small grin and a dip of his head. He wasn't about to let anyone feel guilty for something as minor as this, not if he could help it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ~AND I BELIEVE IT IS TIME TO CLOSE REQUESTS~
> 
> (I apologize, but they're starting to really add up now. xD)
> 
> And, I'm sorry and hate to do this, but from now on, I will message people before I do your story, and if I don't get a reply, it will be skipped until I hear from you again. Only reason I feel the need to do this is because multiple times, I have written a request, and the person would never show up again. And, honestly, these take time, and if the person that asked doesn't stick around, then I don't want to take the time to do it.
> 
> My Tumblr for any questions or concerns. o3o
> 
> Queue as of now:
> 
> MsChievous  
NicoleBL  
Silverheartlugia2000  
Bagpipes5k  
ADyingFlower  
KHDreamfan  
Rain446  
Farsky  
Rubue  
Wilting Worries  
knowledge-or-death  
ImmortalMarshal  
mabver321  
Shiary  
redpandaaprince  
Defiant Drift  
Prompto-cam  
xYukiNoYume  
__C'estletemps_  
Mirajane92  
Brooke3131  
Free_Bird  
MasterThiefWolf
> 
> ~IF YOU REQUESTED AND YOUR NAME IS NOT ON THIS LIST, PLEASE LET ME KNOW, I SOMETIMES LOSE TRACK~


	38. The Nif. Prince

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When King Regis has to meet with Emperor Iedolas, he brings with him an unexpected guest, one Noctis didn't expect to grow so attached to so quickly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta read by: Sinikka_von_Wolperting
> 
> Request for: MsChievous

Noctis stood there, back against the wall on his father's left side with his hands clasped in front of him. The raven fidgeted on the spot, showing his clear disdain at having to wear such uncomfortable garments. "Do try to stand still," Regis sighed, frustrated with his son's lack of professionalism. "Our guests will be here at any moment, and I don't want you offending them in any way."

"Well, that wouldn't be an issue if I were allowed to wear something less stiff," the prince replied. "What are these things made of, cardboard?" he bit out, rolling his shoulders back and shaking his legs one at a time.

The younger man straightened instantly as the door creaked open, that and the warning glance he received from the king, daring him to continue with his incessant complaints. "Emperor Iedolas," the king greeted, warm smile lifting his features as well as the atmosphere in the room. "And this must be…" he questioned, switching his attention to the young blond man that accompanied him.

"Prince Argentum," the younger man replied, bowing his head timidly, an expression of uneases on his face. "Prompto Argentum," he said, giving his full name.

"Prince?" Regis repeated to himself, confused. Last he heard, the emperor didn't have a son. "I don't seem to recall word of an 'Argentum' joining us today," he deadpanned, brows knit together as he awaited an explanation.

Iedolas simply smiled back. "I hope it's not a problem. You have your heir present, I thought it only natural to bring my own." He raised his attention back up and gazed at the other leader, smirking at the loss portrayed there. "I do hope that's not an issue; if it is, I can ask the boy to step out," he offered, already raising a hand to make the call.

But, Regis had his own raised in objection. "No, it's alright. I just...didn't expect it is all." As he got to the point of their meeting, Noctis found himself paying more attention to the other prince than to the actual conversation. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but something was off about the whole thing. Were the two of them related? They looked nothing alike, and even their last names were different. Perhaps he was adopted, that was the best reasoning he could come up with.

The raven swiftly averted his gaze when his prying eye was noticed, but he tried his best to play it off as if he were just glancing around and happened to look at him. Slowly, his gaze drifted back over, and luckily the blond was staring at the floor once again. He, too, looked agonizingly out of place, like he didn't belong there, or was really not into it.

"-oct Noct!" Regis said sternly, causing his son to jump and whip his attention towards him. "The two of us wish to discuss things in private. Be a good host and show Argentum around the place. And please, do stay within the estate, we don't need to draw unwanted attention."

The other scoffed at the accusation, like he would be foolish enough to wander off at a time like this, ot with someone of that caliber accompanying him. "Yeah, I got it." "Y-Your majesty," he added disdainfully when he got a sideways glance. He descended the stairs, taking them one at a time out of fear of losing his balance in this unnatural apparel. Noctis still didn't understand what the point of such frivolous clothing was, it wasn't like they were going out in public or anything.

"If you will," he said as he strolled up to the blond, standing straight as he approached him. He watched in strange curiosity as he looked to the emperor for permission, waiting until the elderly man nodded. And even then, he was hesitant about stepping away. As the two of the walked, it was easy to pick up on Prompto's tense demeanor, his forced steps and terse breathing. If he didn't know better, he'd say this behavior was practiced, engraved into him.

"Prince Noctis," the small and restrained voice caught him off guard, but he gave his undivided attention. "You'll have to forgive me. I'm, uh, well, I'm not used to these types of environments. Things in the Empire. They're different to put it simply." He cast a couple of cautious looks back, making sure his words weren't heard.

The raven raised an eyebrow, looking over his shoulder as well. They were in the clear, and in a few more steps, they were out of the room, doors sliding shut behind them. The moment they were cut off from the others, the blond released a breath, his muscles relaxing a tad amount.

"Is everything alright?" Noctis asked, his curiosity getting the better of him. This was just plain odd. Not acting like royalty was one thing, but this kind of behavior was just pure uncanny.

The Niff prince perked up at the question, and his answer came far too fast. "Y-Yeah, everything's fine, why do you ask?" Again, he came off as nervous, like he did something wrong.

Noctis raised his hands for him to calm down. "Nothing, you just seem uncomfortable is all," he clarified. He stood there awkwardly, unsure of where to even take him. What was he even into? Everything he thought of was either too formal or too casual, and there were too many people everywhere which only made the situation more forced. "You wanna, maybe get some fresh air?" he offered, almost slapping himself for how stupid that sounded out loud.

"Yeah," Prompto replied a little too eagerly. "Yeah, I think that would be great."

The prince nodded. "Alright, well, it's this way," he waved his hand and started heading in the direction of their garden. It was the best they could do without leaving the premises. "It's nothing too spectacular, but hey, it's a nice place to go when you need to think."

The other said nothing, merely fell into his own world and cut himself off as they made their way through the various halls. As soon as the stepped out, Prompto froze on the spot, mouth slightly open in awe. And it took Noctis a moment to realize he was simply breathtaken by the sight of it. "You act like you've never seen a garden before," he chuckled lightly.

He was more than a little surprised when the blond shook his head. "Never one like this before. We have indoor gardens, but that's about it." He caught the look of disbelief on the other's face. "Well, where I'm from, it's you know, not really foliage friendly," he elaborated.

"But, what about places like Tenebrae?" Noctis asked.

"Yeah, but I've never been there," Prompto muttered, scratching the back of his head. Absentmindedly, he strolled forward, reaching out with his hand to brush his fingertips against some of the leaves. "In fact, this is the first time I've been anywhere other than where I… where I grew up," he stuttered, a flash of worry fluttering over his features.

The raven paused, now really puzzled about what was going on. "I don't mean to stick my nose in other people's business. But, I was wondering…" he hesitated, questioning whether or not this was a good idea. "I was wondering what your relationship was...with the emperor, I mean."

At that, the blond drew his hand back in as if burned by the plants, his face twisting into a mask of unease. "It's complicated," he muttered, not explaining more than that.

"You look and act nothing like him. Are you adopted? Are you actually his so-"

"I said it's complicated!" the other snapped, spinning around to face him. "Oh! I'm sorry," he immediately apologized, expression stricken with guilt at his outburst. "You must forgive me, it's just...a difficult arrangement to talk about." He rubbed the back of his neck nervously.

Noctis held both hands up in surrender. "It's alright, we don't have to talk about it if you don't want to. I just found it strange is all. You just don't seem, comfortable."

"Like I said, this is my first time away from the place, so of course I'm going to be out of place," he replied defensively, eyes wide and unblinking as his stare bore down on the other. Noctis shuddered under it, a little uneasy by the intensity of it. Ok, he understood, it was a sore subject.

"Understood," he replied, smiling anxiously. He needed to change the subject, think of something that was safe to talk about, anything to shift the souring atmosphere from what it was. "So, about this garden," he breathed out longingly, "it was actually my mother who started it, or that's what I hear anyway," he shrugged. "Apparently she would spend hours out of her days out here. I think that's why I like it down here so much."

He glanced back to the blond, finding him again beyond fascinated by the various plants, his hands glancing over them tenderly. "They're beautiful," he sighed, hovering his nose just above one of them and taking a sniff of it. "Whoa, they really do smell just as good as I heard."

"What about you?" the raven asked with restraint, afraid of hitting another sore spot.

"What about me?" he asked innocently.

Noctis' eyes shifted from side to side. "Your mother, where is she?" He watched as something different moved behind those orbs of ocean, something a bit more distant and sorrowful.

"I, uh, I dunno," he answered honestly. "I never met her, and I've never heard anything about her. But, then again, I never thought to ask, I never thought about it myself." He drifted over to the nearest bench and lowered himself onto it, the thousand yard stare still present on his face. "It's alright though, it's never bothered me." There was something there though, something that told Noct there was more to it than he was letting on.

And damn he wanted straight answers, but with how he reacted a moment ago, he knew that wasn't a good idea. "Oh, I see," he muttered, setting himself next to the other, then something unexpected happened, the other kept talking.

"Actually...I, it's hard to say, you can't say anything," he looked to the other, waiting until he got that nod of approval. "Well, you see, I'm not like you," he admitted, already sounding ashamed to say it. "It's like guessed, I wasn't born into this role, I'm not of royal descent. As far as I'm concerned, I don't even belong next to the emperor's side. But, he needed an heir, and they said I was the best candidate, so here I am. A fake prince."

Noctis didn't know how to respond. Hell, he didn't know how to process what he just heard. He had his suspicion, but to learn that it was weighing that heavily on Prompto's mind, it was a lot to take in. Sure, he just met this guy, but somehow he felt close to him after just a short time.

"Well, I know what you mean about feeling like you're not right for the position," he opted for. "And, I was born into it, so what does that mean for me?" He managed to get a small chuckle out of the other for that comment. It was better than him snapping and getting defensive, that was for sure. "I guess it's just something we both have to grow into," he sighed out, "even if we don't want to or don't feel right for it."

"I suppose," Prompto agreed, leaning back with a sigh and averting his gaze to the sky above. "But still, there's more to it than that, but that's best left until another time. It's too much to go over at the moment, and I'm afraid of being overheard," his voice was low and cautious. "You can't even let others know I told you that little bit, alright? It may seem insignificant, but others can't know."

"Then why did you tell me?" Noctis asked. "I'm with the enemy aren't I? And, you just met me, so why tell me this stuff?"

The blond stiffened at that, "I, I'm not sure, I guess I felt I could trust you with it. And, I can't keep it all to myself anymore, it's starting to eat at me," he explained, voice trembling the longer he spoke for. "And, I don't know why, but I'm certain you wouldn't say a word to anyone, I can just tell."

"Well, you got me there," the raven shrugged. "Your secret is safe with me." He leaned back as well, and they fell into a comfortable silence, both of them basking in the peaceful aroma of this place, and soaking in its relaxing aura. He cracked an eye open as a butterfly fluttered by, landing on the shoulder of the blond without his knowledge. The other watched as it sat there for a time before flying off, leaving its temporary perch completely unaware of its visit.

After a few more minutes, Prompto took a deep breath and slowly released it. "I think it's about time we get going, I'm sure they should be finishing up soon. And, Emperor Iedolas doesn't like to be kept waiting," he announced, his solemn cloud reforming over his head.

"Right," Noctis muttered, pushing himself up after the other. "Let's get going then, it takes a few minutes to get back there." If the tone of his voice meant anything, then upsetting that man was the last thing any of them wanted to do. He lead the way with Prompto close behind, the closer they got, the more tense his steps and the more stiff his breathing became. It was clear now that he was completely terrified of going back, but he had no choice.

Before they knew it, they were back in front of the throne room where they stood and waited for at least another thirty minutes before the doors were pushed open, the emperor strolling out the moment he was able to get through. He paused momentarily at the sight of the two of them standing together. And the look the elder gave the blond, it was unsettling, borderline disgust.

"Argentum," he said with a clap of his hands. With that, the guy moved near robotically, bowing to Noctis and uttering a 'thank you' as he fell back in line next to his leader, standing stiffly by his side. "Noctis," he greeted in passing, giving a short and curt nod, but the look in his eye was anything except friendly. It was official, he did not like this man in the slightest. Even being near him gave him weird vibes.

Prompto gave him one more concerned look before he was lead away, taken from the citadel to head back to their home. For a few seconds after they were out of view, Noctis stared after them, his chest unnaturally tight. He wasn't sure why, but he worried about the guy, what it was he had to go through over there. Whatever it was, it couldn't have been pleasant. Taking a deep breath, he glanced towards the throne room where his own father resided and felt a swell of fortune.

Shaking his head, he strolled in and hesitated for a fraction of a second when he laid eyes on King Regis' his face buried against his hand. "What? Meeting give you a headache?" the raven asked, a sly smile on his face.

"Something like that," he replied, lifting his gaze to return the amused expression. "Just made a few arrangements for the treaty signing. We've settled on an earlier date," he informed, appearing more stressed by by the second.

"And...the prince?" Noctis asked, his concern not hidden in the slightest. But, he didn't care how obvious he was being.

Regis raised a brow at the question. "Argentum? What about him?"

"Is Prompto coming back, there's more I wanted to talk to him about, so I was wondering if he was coming for that as well."

"We didn't mention that, but I would assume so, it is a major happening after all, something that would be of importance for all those in power. But, perhaps I should remind you that you won't be present for that. If you recall, you have other matters to attend to."

The wedding right, how could have have forgotten. "Yeah, I know," he sighed.

"Tell me, is there something about the prince of Niflheim that interests you?" his father asked, a knowing glint in his eye. When his son didn't answer, he kept going, "Is this about his not being born into royalty?" he asked, pretty sure he hit the nail on the head. "If that's what this is about, then I already know. The emperor has no offspring, so the two of them are unrelated," he explained. "There are rumors though, nothing has been proven, but if they're true, then I fear for the fate of that boy," he finished with an air of seriousness.

"W-What do you mean?" Noctis asked, his eyes wide with worry. "What do you mean his fate?"

The king's face fell and he folded his hands in his lap, his eyes downcast. "Noctis, none of this is known to be fact, but I don't want you getting attached on the chance that these sayings are to be true. But, the kid, if things don't work out, he can be replaced if the need arises," his tone was tense, and it was obvious it pained him to say this, but it was something that needed to be out there before anything happened and his son was hurt as a result.

Noctis' face paled though, his heart doubled in speed and he had a hard time breathing easily. "Wha?" he questioned. "You mean, like he could...die?" He didn't get a response, and that was answer enough. "No, that can't be right." He refused to believe it, that was just...not right.

"As I said, nothing is set in stone, so don't dwell on the matter too much. I simply told you as a precaution so you don't get your hopes up," he explained, but he knew his words meant nothing at this point. "Please, these are matters that don't concern us and getting involved would do nothing but complicate our communications with their country. Do you understand, Noctis?" His voice was stern and authoritative.

Despite his rising anger, the raven muttered a forced, "Yes, sir," and spun on the spot, ignoring his father's protests for him to stop. His steps were fast and he didn't slow down until he was sauntering back into the garden. Only then did he slow to a stop and pause for a deep breath. Glancing back to the bench the two of them were sitting on before, he lowered himself back onto it and caught his breath.

Why was he overreacting like this? He barely knew the guy, and like Regis said, it was only a rumor. Still, his pulse refused to calm down, and his mind didn't want to stop running circles. How could he care that much for someone he didn't even know? He took a deep and slow breath, holding it as he sank against the wooden seat. As he relaxed against it, something fluttered to a stop just on his left shoulder, and he glanced over to the blue butterfly resting on him. Watching it, he lifted a finger to touch it, but if fluttered away before he could make contact.

He prayed the Niflheim prince would be fine, that that's all those rumors were, just sayings, lies that were spread. He refused to believe anyone was that cruel as to replace others. They wouldn't do that...but, deep down, he knew they would, and that's what worried him the most. He could believe all he wanted to, but it wouldn't change a thing. He exhaled heavily through his nose and watched the royal blue wings drift away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ~AND I BELIEVE IT IS TIME TO CLOSE REQUESTS~
> 
> (I apologize, but they're starting to really add up now. xD)
> 
> And, I'm sorry and hate to do this, but from now on, I will message people before I do your story, and if I don't get a reply, it will be skipped until I hear from you again. Only reason I feel the need to do this is because multiple times, I have written a request, and the person would never show up again. And, honestly, these take time, and if the person that asked doesn't stick around, then I don't want to take the time to do it.
> 
> My Tumblr for any questions or concerns.
> 
> Queue as of now:
> 
> NicoleBL  
Silverheartlugia2000  
Bagpipes5k  
ADyingFlower  
KHDreamfan  
Rain446  
Farsky  
Rubue  
Wilting Worries  
knowledge-or-death  
ImmortalMarshal  
mabver321  
Shiary  
redpandaaprince  
Defiant Drift  
Prompto-cam  
xYukiNoYume  
__C'estletemps_  
Mirajane92  
Brooke3131  
Free_Bird  
MasterThiefWolf
> 
> ~IF YOU REQUESTED AND YOUR NAME IS NOT ON THIS LIST, PLEASE LET ME KNOW, I SOMETIMES LOSE TRACK~


	39. Worth the Shot

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Managing to convince Noctis to get up just a little earlier for a photo opportunity, things don't go as planned and it's the prince that suffers for it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta read by: Sinikka_von_Wolperting
> 
> By Tumblr for any questions or concerns.
> 
> Request for: NicoleBL and redpandaaprince
> 
> Since these requests were similar, I combined them into one, really hope that's alright, and really hope both of you still like it. ;w;

Swiping the sheen of sweat from his forehead, Noctis let out yet another exasperated breath, growing weary of this incessant walking. He was fairly certain he got more exercise in this last week than he did a full year back in Insomnia. He groaned audibly, running his fingers through his dark locks as he stopped to catch his breath. "How long do you plan on going on for?" he asked, making it clear that he wasn't exactly thrilled.

"Not too much longer, dude," Prompto assured with an enthusiastic thumbs up. "Couple more minutes maybe. Maybe about half an hour…" he uttered under a cough. "Don't worry," he chirped up with more volume, "the view will be worth it, I'm sure.

Straightening back up, the prince sighed heavily. "Alright, let's get this over with then, I'd like to at least be back before Ignis starts messaging me with his nagging." He shuddered with the thought of that. Even through text, the adviser had a way with letting his annoyance be known. Giving his back one more stretch, he strolled after the blond, who somehow managed to have so much spring in his step despite the hour. He never understood how the guy could be so uppity all the time; just watching another like that was enough to wear the raven out.

Just as the gunner had said, it took perhaps five more minutes before he slowed to a stop and took in a deep breath. "Here we are, and it's just like I thought it would be," he announced, stepping to the side to allow the other room to approach.

Noctis crept up, wary of his step with the consideration of the steep declines on either side in mind. "This better be as nice as you made it out to be," he mumbled, carefully stepping next to the blond and planting his feet in place. His stomach dropped a few notches when he gazed at the scene. But, once his mind had time to process what he was seeing, he swiftly relaxed, the sights putting him at ease. For a moment, he was at a loss, all he could do was stare and blink a few times to make sure he was really seeing this. He wasn't normally one for this kind of stuff, but this was just breathtaking.

"What'd I tell ya?" Prompto chuckled, a little overly pleased with himself. "Now, to get a few shots, and I promise we'll be back before Iggy even has a chance to ask where we are," he chimed, already aiming his camera at the spring below. The foliage around it reflected near perfectly in it, giving it the appearance of another world entirely

Noctis made sure to stand to the side so as not to accidentally get caught in any of the photos. And, he waited patiently as the 'snaps' of the camera echoed around them. He couldn't complain though, with all the leaves shielding them, he didn't have to worry about the sun bearing down on him anymore, so there was that at least.

"Just a coooouuuple more," the blond muttered, smiling to himself once he was finished. "And there we go, all finished up!" he announced, hopping back up to his feet and scanning through the memory, admiring his own handiwork.

Before the other could notice his calm demeanor, the prince shuffled on the spot. "Took ya long enough," he griped playfully. "Now, let's hurry the hell up and get back. I don't want to hear another of specs' lectures about letting the food get cold or whatever he decides he wants to complain about today," he brushed up, spinning on the spot and starting down the slope before the other had the chance to reply.

"Aw, don't be like that, buddy," the blond called after him, skipping forward to catch up and clap him on the back. "It didn't take that long, we'll be back before he knows it."

"Prom, it's almost nine," the raven responded with a raised eyebrow. Prompto's step faltered with that news and his mouth opened and closed with a loss of what to say. "Yeah, that 'ten minutes at the most, Noct' turned out to be half an hour," he informed.

A little bit of the bounce deflated and he fidgeted with his camera. "Well, you should have known better than to believe that. It's not like I ever lead you to believe I was good with time or anything, did I?" he shot back with a smug expression. Noctis had to admit, he had him on that one, the gunner wasn't exactly known for his time management. "It doesn't matter though, if it's not one thing with him, then it's another," he waved a dismissive hand, and earned a soft laugh from the other.

"Yeah, that's Ignis for you," he agreed, "always stressing over one thing or another." For a while, they fell into a comfortable silence, their steps leisurely. After about ten minutes of walking, the raven hesitates, practically freezing on the spot. "What is it?" the other asked, instantly noticing the sudden tense form of his friend.

For a few seconds, he said nothing, just listened in, and after a couple more, Prompto heard what it was he was listening to. Something was clearly out there, hidden in the foliage and prowling around them; stalking them and watching them. The prince summoned his blade, getting ready just to be safe. "Prom," he whispered, gaze shifting to the left, "keep an eye out." But, there was no need, he, too, had his weapon drawn, finger ready to pull the trigger at a moment's notice.

"W-What is it?" the blond stuttered, a barely noticeable tremor wracking his arm in anticipation. He looked to Noctis for answers, but only received a subtle shake of the head. He swallowed thickly at that, his mouth drying up out of nowhere as his eyes darted around. Why was he feeling so uneasy? It's not like they hadn't taken on countless foes before, whatever this was, it was nothing, nothing they couldn't handle. Shaking his head, he steadied his grip.

As the two of them stood there, barely risking moving an inch, the sounds died down, just when it was almost on top of them. Now, it was dead silent. And, they gave it a few more seconds, and still nothing. Relaxing, the blond stood straight, a nervous drop of sweat trailed down the back of his neck.

"I-Is it go-"

"Prompto!" the prince cried out, jumping forward as an instinct, not thinking before he acted. The next thing he knew, pain was exploding in his side, a searing agony planting itself in his flesh. The gunner watched in horror as his closest friend tackled him, not giving him a chance to react before he was being shoved to the ground. The impact combined with the weight of the prince falling on top of him, he gasped out.

Before he could say or do anything, his blood ran cold and his heart raced in his chest as warmth soaked into his vest...but he felt no pain. In his panic, it took him longer than normal to piece it together. "No-Noct!?" he exclaimed, getting only a groaned response. "Hey, are you alright?" he asked, wriggling out from under the other, hisses and gasps of pain following suit. Soon, he managed to work his way out and was crouching next to the raven.

"Noct-" he paused, a growl uncomfortably close diverting his concerns from his ailing friend to the enemy still lurking around the two of them, it's low and threatening gnarls churning his insides.

As calmly as his shaking body could, he got to his feet, never allowing his eyes to wander from the sabertusk, its own gaze boring straight through him, hungry eyes tempting it as saliva dripped from its half-open maw. It took another tentative step, looking as though it was ready to pounce at the slightest of movements. Licking his lips nervously, Prompto glanced from it down to Noctis and the...the crimson stain that spread over his jacket, and then back to the creature. He positioned himself on front of his friend with no intention of budging from the spot; no way was he gonna let this thing get near him.

Prompto instinctively took a step back when it lunged, but at the same time, he squeezed his index finger around the trigger and a shot rang out. Despite being used to his pistol, he couldn't stifle the flinch that came with the action.

A whimper and a 'thud' and he pried his eyes open, unaware of when they had even closed. Blood, thick and fast flowing, dripped from the bullet wound near one it its hind legs. However, the new and painful injury didn't dampen its thirst for them and it prepared to lunge again. "Just go away?" he pleaded desperately, his arm starting to tremble again, the sounds clattering through his gun.

This time, he didn't give it the chance to attack again, he shot at it, then again, and a third time. He pulled the trigger over and over until an empty 'click' was all that it released. Breathing heavily, his eyes lingered on the creature's still form, its limp body was slumped on the ground as a red pool spread underneath it. Cautiously, the blond approached it and gave it a solid nudge with his foot, cringing at the blood that gushed when it was disturbed. But, it wasn't moving, not even the rise and fall of its breath could be seen.

"Noctis…" he gasped, mentally slapping himself for almost forgetting. In an instant, he flicked his wrist, sending his gun away and spun on the spot. Not a moment later, he dropped to his knees next to the raven, not caring that blood was absorbing into the knees of his pants.

His hands hovered over the wound that marred his side, shaking as they didn't know what they should do or where they should start. "O-Okay," he muttered to himself, his voice shaking terribly and on the verge of breaking. "I have...I hafta stop t-the bleeding," he told himself, going through it in his head. He was sure Ignis probably taught them how to deal with certain things at some point. And, dammit, why didn't he pay more attention during those? Prompto bit his lip as he forced his hands into action, reminding himself that he couldn't waste time like this.

Ripping his bandanna from his arm, he kept muttering to himself, 'Everything will be fine, he'll be alright,' over and over. It was about the only thing keeping him from freaking out, and he wished more than anything that one of the others were here; they would know what to do, how to deal with this mess they got into. ...This mess he got them into.

"I-I'm sorry, this is gonna hurt," he warned, pretty certain his words fell on deaf ears. Other than the occasional fidget and whimper, the prince hardly reacted to anything he was doing. However, when he pressed the material against the gash, the raven writhed under the touch, his whimper progressing into a pained cry. The gunner screwed his eyes shut, refusing to release any of the pressure no matter how much he was hurting his best friend. It was what had to be done, it was for the best.

After a few moments, he eventually settled down, his whines of agony dying and fading away until he relaxed...finally passed out from the agony he was in. Part of Prompto was thankful, but the other half of him wanted to panic, to shake him back awake. If it weren't for the steady rise and fall of his chest, he most likely would have done just that. But, as long as that was still going, he was sure he was alright. Well, as alright as he could be.

Taking the cloth away, he finally laid eyes on the wound. It was still slightly obscured by the prince's clothing, and he swallowed thickly knowing he'd have to peel that away to really get a look at it. His teeth were clenched hard as he gazed down, trickles of blood still leaked from his side. Taking a deep breath, he gripped the bottom of his shirt, and before he could put too much thought into it, he lifted the clothing. Instantly, a stunned gasp escaped parted lips.

It probably wasn't as bad as it appeared, but it definitely looked bad, and his mind screamed at him to get him back to the others, back to Ignis. He chastised himself for not having brought at least one potion with him out here. They all knew the dangers that inhabited this area, so why the hell would he be so stupid and not bring any with him?

"Noctis?" he questioned, leaning closer and lightly tapping the side of his face. "N-Noct, come on man, we gotta get out of here. You're not gonna make me carry you all the way back, are you?" he asked with a light and forced chuckle. There was no reply, just the prince's head lolling to the side lifelessly.

Looks like he wasn't presented with many options here. Sighing sorrowfully, he dropped his gaze, his breath ghosted over his lips as his stomach slowly descended. "Alright, l-leave it to me," he whispered, slipping one arm under the raven's shoulders and the other under his knees. For a moment, he stayed like that, hesitant to actually lift him. For once, he was really jealous of the shield's strength and confidence; he would probably have already had Noctis back at the camp and getting the help he needed. And here he was, scared to even try to pick the prince up out of fear of dropping him or hurting him further.

He had to do it though, there was no one else to help, and calling them was out of the question, it would take too long for them to get here and then haul him back. This was the best and safest way. Keeping that in mind, he held his breath and hefted the raven up, wincing at the way he didn't even twitch with the process.

Prompto held the other tightly, making sure he didn't jostle him with the first few steps he took. Watching the raven closely, he slowly started to walk faster, but made sure to keep a slow enough pace to not risk tripping or anything. "Don't worry, w-we're gonna get you back to the others, ok? Everything...everything will be fine," he promised, trying to keep his tone light and hopeful, but dread was a forever bearing shadow that never really went away.

He wasn't walking for long before the warmth could be felt again, seeping slowly into his garments, and his breath became heavier with the awareness of that. Noctis was still bleeding, it wasn't a lot, but it was building up...and rather quickly as that. With how much farther he still had to go, he couldn't leave it like this, he'd bleed out before he was halfway there.

Swearing under his breath, the blond slowly lowered the prince back down, his throat tightened at the pallidness of his features. He'd already lost too much blood. At a loss of what else to do, Prompto peeled his vest off and pressed it firmly against the wound. Holding it securely in place, he awkwardly picked Noctis back up, making sure the article stayed in place, using his body as a means of pressing it in place. With this new and odd way of securing it in place, he was on the move again, this time not caring if he jostled the other a bit. If that's what it took to get him back and get him help, then so be it.

As he worked his way closer to the camp, he focused on nothing but the raven's breathing and his own, both of them seemingly blasting in his ears. His inhales and exhales were gradually becoming strained from the exertion it took to carry the both of them, and the fact that his heart still had yet to slow down wasn't helping him. In the distance, he could vaguely make out the tent, it was like a dot.

"Ignis!" he shouted breathlessly, praying his voice reached, but not overly hopeful. Biting his lip, he sped up a little, his pulse threatening to split his veins. "Gladio!" he called out for the other, putting all the force he could muster behind it. 'Come on, you guys!' he screamed in his head.

Now, he could make out both of their forms, both of them going about their daily routines. "Ig-nis!" he tried again, voice hitching in the middle of the plea. This time, the adviser perked with the sound of his name, and he cast a curious gaze in their direction. Seeing the brunet's attention on them, Prompto couldn't stop the hitch in his breath as he let out a soft laugh, a humorless one. "N-Noct's hurt!" he called, tone higher than normal, his strong demeanor crumbling now that all the pressure wasn't on his shoulders anymore, and he hated showing so much weakness like that.

It took forever, for the others to run up to him, for Gladio to take the prince from his arms, for them to take over; it all took too damn long. As they hauled Noctis back, both of them already doing what had to be done, Prompto glanced down at himself, arms still partially extended, eyes scanning over the stains of blood that decorated his form. And, nausea snuck up on him, creeping into the base of his throat; he was sure he was going to throw up as his hands shook almost uncontrollably. His attention drifted up, eyes wide while his feet moved on their own, carrying him towards the others as they removed Noctis' shirt to take care of the wound better.

"I-I'm so sorry," he muttered, head shaking back and forth unconsciously. "I didn't," he swallowed thickly, "I didn't think this...I didn't know this was going to happen." Prompto could barely hear his own apologies.

They didn't reply, Ignis just held his hand out for the potion the shield handed over. The adviser didn't hesitate before popping it open and pouring the contents over the angry slashes on the raven's side. He writhed under the green hue as it snaked through him. For the first time in a hot minute, Noctis had his eyes open, intense orbs fogged with pain and his mouth agape in a silent cry.

The gunner inhaled sharply at the sight, and he had to look away, seeing the other like this didn't sit well, but the image of him like that had already engraved itself into his mind; there was no ridding himself of it now. It was there forever, it would haunt his dreams, and it was sure to follow him wherever he went. He jumped when something fell on his shoulder, firm and reassuring. The blond cut his eyes over his shoulder to see amber orbs staring back, surprisingly soft for the situation.

"Prompto," Gladio uttered, "calm down, it's going to be fine." His voice was reassuring, but the light in his eyes demanded answers, they bore questions that his tongue couldn't produce.

"W-We were attacked," the smaller man said, knowing that one of them was bound to drop the question sooner or later. "A saber...sabertusk. It came out of nowhere, and it…" he trailed off, the initial realization that Noctis had saved him, risked his own life for his sake, hit him again. It stung no less than it had the first time. "He saved me," he replied, swallowing thickly, leaning a foul taste in the back of his throat.

Gladio hummed in acknowledgement, his stare averting to the two behind him before gradually drifting back. "Well, it's going to be alright, he'll live." Prompto's shoulders relaxed at that news, but it did nothing to appease the guilt and resentment in the bottom of his chest. "But," that single word had him perked back up, "what the hell were you guys doing so far away?" he asked, displeasure written on his face.

"I…" he paused to take a deep breath. This was all his fault, he already knew that, but to admit that. Well, it wasn't going to be easy, no matter how much he knew it to be true. "I wanted to get some pictures…" he mumbled, dropping his gaze to the ground.

"And neither of you thought about mentioning this to either of us?" the brute questioned, his tone slightly more tense than before. It was obvious he was struggling to keep his emotions in check, but he was doing his best not to snap.

The blond shrunk in his heavy presence. "I-I messed up," he whispered. "I didn't think anything would happen, it was supposed to be quick. It was an accident," he added, words now practically inaudible. Taking a deep and shuddering breath, he looked back up to the larger man and met that fire-infused stare. "I'm so sorry, I promise…"

"It's alright," Ignis cut in from his spot next to the prince, a smudge of red across his right cheek. "The important thing is he'll live. And, you did good to get him back here as quickly as you could," he sighed. "However, Gladio is right, running off like that is beyond irresponsible. But, it's the both of you that hold the blame for that." His eyes wandered to the shield as he said that last part. "Noctis will be fine, given some rest."

The blond still had ice coursing through him though. It could have been so much worse; and, he was sure if the circumstance had been just a bit different, then Noctis wouldn't have been quite as fortunate, and the truth of that didn't sit well with him. "He'll be fine," he repeated, as if to convince himself.

The brunet nodded, assuring that it was the truth. "Just let him rest a bit, and he will easily get back to a hundred percent in no time." He flashed the blond a warm smile, the single gesture relaxing him a bit. "I still have to get breakfast started. Prompto? Would you mind keeping an eye on His Highness while I do so. And, Gladio, you can lend me a hand." It was merely a suggestion, but something in his tone read as more of a command than an option.

Both of them obliged, not wanting to argue with the man; they both knew full well what he was doing. Blowing heavily through his nose, Prompto placed himself next to the prince, crossing his legs next to his head. For some time, he just watched him, still slightly uneasy about taking his gaze off him.

Fidgeting his thumbs in his lap, he slumped a bit, huffing out in frustration. "Well, at least we got out alive," he muttered. "And, I am so sorry, I promise to make it up to you, Noct," he promised, letting his eyes slide shut as he rambled on. "Not sure how, but I'll find some way, even though there's probably nothing I can do…" he trailed off as one hand lifted to brush through his hair.

"You...can start by...keeping quiet," came a quiet and groggy reply. A small jolt ran through the gunner and his eyes snapped open. "Dunno 'ow I'm supposed to sleep with so much noise," he slurred, cracking one eye open to stare at the blond who was subtly out of focus.

"N-Noct?" Prompto questioned out of surprise. "S-Sorry, I was just...nervous habit," he brushed off, cheeks acquiring a pink shade from his embarrassment. "I'll stop though," he chuckled, scratching the back of his neck.

The raven offered a forced and weak grin. "It's fine," he replied, shifting slightly to get in a more comfortable position. "And, don't be...sorry, that is," he clarified. "I went willingly," he half shrugged. "It'appens," he sighed, closing his eye back, already growing weary again. "Jus' you better 'ave gotten some damn good shots," he breathed out, his breath slowly evening out once again.

"Yeah," Prompto sighed, smiling to himself. "Don't worry, I did," he promised. "I'll be sure to let you have a look for yourself when you wake up."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ~AND I BELIEVE IT IS TIME TO CLOSE REQUESTS~
> 
> (I apologize, but they're starting to really add up now. xD)
> 
> And, I'm sorry and hate to do this, but from now on, I will message people before I do your story, and if I don't get a reply, it will be skipped until I hear from you again. Only reason I feel the need to do this is because multiple times, I have written a request, and the person would never show up again. And, honestly, these take time, and if the person that asked doesn't stick around, then I don't want to take the time to do it.
> 
> Queue as of now:
> 
> Silverheartlugia2000  
Bagpipes5k  
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ImmortalMarshal  
mabver321  
Shiary  
Defiant Drift  
Prompto-cam  
xYukiNoYume  
__C'estletemps_  
Mirajane92  
Brooke3131  
Free_Bird  
MasterThiefWolf
> 
> ~IF YOU REQUESTED AND YOUR NAME IS NOT ON THIS LIST, PLEASE LET ME KNOW, I SOMETIMES LOSE TRACK~


	40. 'Ribbeting' Meetings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When the guys have to take care of a 'guest' in the sewers beneath the city, something unexpected happens to Prompto. Now, on the verge of being late to a meeting, Noctis does what he has to to make it on time, even of that means keeping his best friend in his pocket.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta read by: Sinikka_von_Wolperting
> 
> Request for: Silverheartlugia2000

"This place smells terrible, I'm soaked, and why did I agree to come along?" Prompto asked aloud, all while trudging through the nearly knee high sewage river. The blond raised his gaze from his discolored reflection to the back of Noctis' head. "Tell me again, why did you have the bright idea to do this yourself? Isn't this what you have people like Gladio for?" he questioned, earning a less than amused glance from said shield.

"Technically this is your job too," the brute reminded. "Or did you forget what being a crownsguard was all about?"

The gunner pursed his lips in thought. "Well," he started, quieter, "I expected something more, y'know' dignifying," he shrugged. But this, this was humiliating. A year ago, he never imagined he'd be traversing through the city's sewer system with the prince in search of a giant snake...it never once crossed his mind. He cringed as more of the slop squelched into his shoe. "You have to be kidding me," he groaned. "Soon as we're out of here, I'm getting in the shower and never getting out."

In the front, the raven rolled his eyes as he listened to the bickering behind him, but for once, he was thankful he wasn't included in said banter. He didn't really feel comfortable in opening his mouth at the moment, not with the aromas that were currently weaving in and out of his nostrils. Like Prompto, he just wanted to get this thing killed and taken care of so he could get out of his phone for the fifth time, he bit his lower lip; they only had about thirty minutes to get this over with and get back to the citadel. Maybe Ignis was right, they should have taken care of this earlier. But, he refused to admit that to the adviser.

Rounding another turn, Noctis was stopped by a firm hand on his shoulder, and he didn't need to look to know who it was. "Noct, listen," Ignis instructed, his voice low. The others behind him did he same, hearing the seriousness in his tone.

"Yeah, I hear it," the raven replied, holding his breath and focusing on the subtle echoes of slithering, water sloshing on either side of the tunnels could be picked up even from where they were. Pressing himself against the concrete wall, he inched along, ignoring the way the dampness of it seeped into his jacket. It was drawing closer...and quickly at that. "Hope everyone is ready," he breathed out.

The others all nodded in unison, preparing themselves for whatever was about to come. Though, none were too thrilled with the location of their encounter; somewhere in the open would have been much prefered. But, alas, anywhere else and it would have been putting citizens at risk. He grit his teeth in anticipation, his sword materializing in his hands; the comforting weight of it put his mind at ease. 'Almost,' he mouthed to himself, the creature now just around the bend. Any second now, he could practically make out its breath, only a few feet away.

"Now!" Ignis gave the order, and Gladio was the first to move, taking the front and instantly blocking an attack with the flat end of his blade. The shield grit his teeth and growled under the force of the strike, and the slickness of the ground wasn't helping as he was pushed back a few inches.

But, at least he had it distracted long enough for the others to steal the upper hand in the situation. Prompto was the second to move, darting to the far wall on the other side, and showing zero hesitation as he unloaded a clip straight into the serpent's body. But, it hardly showed an signs of sensing the assault. Yet, that didn't stop him from reloading and continuing his barrage. Then there was Ignis, easily slipping by the brute, his own blades held delicately in his grasp as he expertly sliced along the side of the naga. This, this was finally enough to make it reel in agony.

The beast threw its head back in a pained screech. Watching closely, the brunet's eyes widened when he saw the the deep inhale it was taking. "Everyone, take cover!" he called out, giving his warning before charging to hide behind the giant creature. The others did the same, quickly seeking out whatever they could. The moment Noctis was back around the corner, a green cloud of toxin billowed down the tunnel where they just were. From where he was, the raven wrinkled his nose at the scent it carried with it. It was foul...but sweet at the same time.

"Alright," the prince muttered when the smoke cleared up, jumping back around to face it. Dark blood was flowing freely from the wound on its side, quickly at that. From the looks of it, it wouldn't be taking a lot more to take care of it. With that in mind, he tossed his blade, the tip it struck directly in the beast's forehead, and the prince was right behind it, warping up to grab hold of it. Again, the naga cried in pain, writhing from the impact.

Gritting his teeth, Noctis jerked the sword down, effectively dragging it through its head until it ceased its struggles and listed to the side. Breathing heavily and leaning forward, he tossed his weapon back out of existence and straightened up. "I guess that takes care of it," he muttered, brushing his hands together. "Is everyone alright?" he asked, glancing over his shoulder to take in everyone's condition.

"Indeed," Ignis confirmed, pushing his glasses up.

"All good here," Gladio informed, rolling his shoulders back to work the kinks out.

Noctis looked around for a bit more. "Prompto?" he asked, searching out his friend when he didn't get a reply. Still nothing. "Prom!?" he called again, now slightly worried. "Hey, Prom-" he paused when a low 'croak' bounced off the wall, beckoning him to look to its source. His eyes narrowed as he gazed at a frog, sitting on one of the side paths...staring back at him.

Curiously, he took a few steps towards it, jumping back when it leapt towards him, eagerly, like it was actually seeking him out. "My, this is quite unfortunate…" the adviser thought aloud, eyes locked onto the amphibian. The others looked to him for elaboration, urging him to go on. "It appears as though Prompto's been hit by that thing's toxins," he sighed, sounding more irritated than concerned.

"So...you're saying that this, this is Prompto?" the raven questioned skeptically, lifting the frog into his hands and turned it around to look it over. "Looks like a normal frog to me," he observed, raising an eyebrow.

The brunet simply nodded, his expression set into a firm scowl as he watched on. "Just, do be careful with him, he's not as durable in that form," he commented, huffing another heavy breath. He caught the worried mask the raven wore. "Try not to think on it too much, he'll be fine. Unfortunately, we lack the means of turning him back. But, it doesn't last forever." He raised a hand to his chin in thought. "To be perfectly honest, I'm not quite sure how long it lasts, but it won't be forever."

Confused and beyond stunned, the prince gazed back down at the frog in his hands. "You have to be joking," he muttered, but there wasn't time to dwell on it. "Shit!" he exclaimed. Lost on what to do, he stuffed it in his jacket pocket and darted towards the exit. "I'm gonna be late, and I won't hear the end of it," he bit out. He'd have to deal with the Prompto situation later, for now, he figured he'd be safe enough in his pocket.

"You guys coming?" he called over his shoulder, missing whatever warning it was the adviser was giving him, but he was too far gone to hear a word of it.

* * *

This was uncomfortable, uncomfortable and and humiliating. To think, he had been reduced to this, and Noctis had the audacity to put him in his pocket like some sort of accessory. He wriggled around to right himself, groaning internally when the dampness around him shifted and wrapped. This sucked, it smelled bad in here too, saturated in such foul water.

Prompto wanted nothing more than to climb his way out of this crappy and material jail of his. But, every time he tried, he was jostled, knocked back to the bottom of the pocket from the raven's hasty sprinting. Every step churned his insides even more and nausea and dizziness was swirling into one. He was becoming disoriented, losing his sense of direction until he had no idea which way was up.

'Noct, slow down,' he thought to himself, closing his eyes, which only made it all so much worse. All he could do was clamp down and hope it would be over soon, wait for this nightmarish rollercoaster to end. And, eventually, it did slow down to something much more tolerable, but, at the same time, he picked up on voices, ones that greeted the raven. From the tones of their voice, they sounded like...his eyes widened. That was right, the meeting Noctis had to attend, was he really planning on going with him stuffed in his pocket. He wriggled around some more in an attempt to remind the other that he was still there.

When his movements got more intense, a hand reached down and actually held him still. If he had teeth at that moment… Prompto backed away and instead tried kicking against his side; he was determined to annoy him until he found a better way to haul him around. Hell, he could have left him with Ignis or Gladio...but then again, this was the prince, he wasn't known for making logical choices.

Of course, he was effectively ignored. And, he was left in his confines, even through the drastic change in angle as Noctis took his seat. He was really planning on leaving him in there through this whole thing. It was official, he was going to die of boredom if the suffocation or fumes didn't do the job first.

And, with that, it started, the dawdling conversations, the drab topics, he hardly paid attention to any of it. Taking a nap was something on his mind, but with all the rotten scents and murky texture, that was out of the question. This was dragging on forever, and he was sure he couldn't take much more of it. If he weren't literally stuffed in someone's pocket, then it wouldn't be anywhere near as daunting.

Taking a deep breath, he huffed it out, eyes widening when more than just air came out. It was muffled, but he knew there was no way that wasn't heard. And, even in this form, the metaphorical hairs on the back of his neck stood on end.

"What was that?" he heard the gruff voice of the king ask, and it was clear who it was directed at. He froze where he was, afraid to so much as move out of fear of being found out.

He was jolted as Noctis jerked straighter, a nervous chuckle leaked out. "What was what?" he questioned, tone light and innocent. There was a little bit of muttered from others, but soon they carried one, pretending like nothing happened. The both of them breathed out in relief, and he raven made sure to reach into his pocket to give the gunner a small and irritated flick with his finger. Well, it was supposed to be a flick, but to Prompto it was more like a punch to the head.

That was close though, after that, he made sure to keep his mouth tightly closed, afraid that any slight unhinge would unleash another croak. He settled down as far in the pocket as he could,the corner for lack of a better term, and hunkered down. Here, he would wait until this was all over, behave himself in his self-proclaimed time-out. 'It can't go on forever,' he told himself, despite having been on there for at least an hour now, pushing two.

Soon enough, he perked back up as things were finally coming to a close, conversations were being wrapped up, and people were asking their final questions. Just a few more minutes, and he was free, rid of this hell. Re-positioning himself, if he could emote, he would have been wearing a scowl as something inside of him twisted uncomfortably. And, to his dismay, he wasn't able to stifle his sounds of discontent; he was sure his insides were actually shifting, and for some reason, his body felt tight, like he was wearing too tight clothing.

There was more talking going on around him, most of which sounded confused and off, and he was sure it was about all the noise he was making, but he couldn't help it, this was just plain unsettling. He screwed his eyes shut when he felt as though his form was about to implode on itself, which in the next second, he was fairly convinced it did. A puff of green smoke exploded out, filling his vision.

Eyes still closed, the murmurs and cries of others filled the room, and the scent, he finally had a breath of fresh air. ...But, that was rather concerning. If he was no longer inhaling that rancid air… His eyes snapped open, and he scanned around himself, finding multiple sets of eyes lingering on his form. Mouth falling agape, the blond slowly turns to look down, and his gaze widens. There was Noct...underneath him.

"Noct," the king mutters, his mood unreadable from his flat tone.

Feeling awkward and on the spot, Prompto jumped to his feet and chuckled anxiously. "I, uh, I-" he stuttered, mouth suddenly dry. "I'll see myself out," he muttered, backing up slowly towards the exit. Luckily, no one made a move to stop him, then again, they were all still taken aback by what had just transpired before them. Couldn't blame them, it wasn't everyday someone just materialized before them.

In a rush, he darted out the door once he was close enough, and kept walking; he never stopped until the ran into the others. "Hey...what's up?" he asked, trying to sound casual, but his tone was high and unsettled.

The other two exchanged a curious look and was about to say something when the raven caught their attention. Prompto followed their gaze to find him standing outside the meeting room, Regis right in front of him, and even from there, they could hear the intensity of the conversation. They talked for a couple minutes before Noctis bowed and the king stormed back into the meeting room, leaving his son standing alone and out of place in the hall.

"Wonder what that was about." Gladio asked, a knowing undercurrent to his words. "Guess someone showed up that wasn't supposed to be in there," he sighed, nudging the blond in the side.

The latter swallowed thickly as the raven began to saunter over, his head dipped partially. "Hey...Noct?" he started, timidly, "about what happened in there…"

"Don't worry about it," he muttered, rubbing the back of his neck. "It's not like you changed on purpose," he sighed. "Besides, it wasn't even that important of a meeting, not sure why I even had to go to it. All you did was shock them a little, they'll be fine. To be honest, I think they were more offended by the smell," he added, pinching the collar of his jacket to take a whiff of it. "Now that I think about it, I think we could all use a change...and a shower.

Prompto smiled at that, "Well they can consider themselves lucky. They didn't have to sit inside your clothing like It did," he frowned as he spoke. "Which reminds me, what the hell were you thinking? Really, dude? You put me in your pocket?" he tossed his hands in the air in exaggeration.

The prince shrugged, "I was in a hurry and I didn't know what else to do. Not like it killed you."

At that, the gunner rubbed the sore spot on his head, "No, but did you really have to thump me? That freaking hurt, ya'know." He prodded the area, fairly certain a bruise was to blossom over the next few days.

Noctis waved a dismissive hand. "Yeah, yeah, that was payback for whatever punishment I know I'm in for thanks to that," he breathed out, shuddering at the thought of that. In retrospect, perhaps taking a comrade into a meeting discreetly wasn't the best idea he had. And had he thought about it, he definitely wouldn't have made that mistake to begin with. "Maybe you should try not to get turned into animals anymore," he suggested, finding some way to offer the blame onto another.

"Or you could not treat your friends like object," Prompto suggested, folding his arms over his chest in offense. "That was so embarrassing," he added, lowering his gaze. "And in front of the king no less." Any respect he managed to accumulate over the years...gone in a puff of smoke.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ~AND I BELIEVE IT IS TIME TO CLOSE REQUESTS~
> 
> (I apologize, but they're starting to really add up now. xD)
> 
> And, I'm sorry and hate to do this, but from now on, I will message people before I do your story, and if I don't get a reply, it will be skipped until I hear from you again. Only reason I feel the need to do this is because multiple times, I have written a request, and the person would never show up again. And, honestly, these take time, and if the person that asked doesn't stick around, then I don't want to take the time to do it.
> 
> Queue as of now:
> 
> Bagpipes5k  
ADyingFlower  
KHDreamfan  
Rain446  
Farsky  
Rubue  
Wilting Worries  
knowledge-or-death  
ImmortalMarshal  
mabver321  
Shiary  
Defiant Drift  
Prompto-cam  
xYukiNoYume  
__C'estletemps_  
Mirajane92  
Brooke3131  
Free_Bird  
MasterThiefWolf
> 
> ~IF YOU REQUESTED AND YOUR NAME IS NOT ON THIS LIST, PLEASE LET ME KNOW, I SOMETIMES LOSE TRACK~


	41. Lost Your Way

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When tension and emotions are high, a few unwarranted words are exchanged between then guys. Prompto takes it upon himself to separate himself from the others to calm himself down before things can escalate further. But, Noctis and the others start to worry when he doesn't come back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta read by: Sinikka_von_Wolperting
> 
> Request for: Bagpipes5k
> 
> My Tumblr for any questions or concerns
> 
> So, I'm actually considering stopping this series once I hit 100 requests. By the time I get through all these, it will be over 50. So, I was wondering what others thought. Would you want this to continue past that mark? Or does that sound like a good number to stop on?

Prompto twiddled his thumbs in the front seat, his eyes shifting around anxiously as the atmosphere continued to get polluted by the bittering moods of the others. His was the same though; after hearing the news of the crown city, none of them at the spirits to even carry out a decent conversation that didn't end in either one of them storming off or awkward silence. Eventually, his wandering gaze landed on the window, the only place he could stare without bearing the weight of the others' emotions. Not that that was much better; it was as if the weather somehow inherited their dismay and changed accordingly.

Slowly, his left hand hovered closer to the radio, his body acting on its own in a desperate attempt to fill the heavy quiet. At this point, it was practically tangible. His fingers brushed over the dial before Ignis cut his eyes over, the look alone veering his hand away.

"I'd rather not have any distractions while driving in this weather," he explained, hoping that would be enough to convince the blond to leave everything as it were. The adviser didn't miss the falter of the other's features nor the way he sagged in his seat and leaned his head against the window. His right arm rested on the door, fingers tapping nervously as the sodden landscape whizzed by in a greyish blur.

The gunner took a deep breath, and against his better judgement and past experiences, he again tried to start up a casual conversation. "So…" he started, unsure where he was going with this, "any, uh, idea what we're doing from here?"

No one said a word, and his entire frame tensed. "Hey...at least it isn't quite so hot anymore...right?" he chuckled lightly, still getting no response from the others. "Though, I gotta say, wasn't expecting rain like this to come out of now-"

"Just...stop talking," Noctis suggested. There was no bite in his tone, just emotionless words.

Prompto just nodded, pressing his lips together as he hummed his compliance. Clearly none of them were in the right state of mind for such talking, he could understand that, but it was still killing him inside to see all of them like this. Overnight, it was like all of them had been replaced with husks of their former selves, and it pained him. Taking a deep breath, he sank deeper into the leather, giving up for the moment. There were plenty of other opportunities to talk things out, that much was for certain.

Eventually, they pulled over, now just a few miles from Insomnia; the outlines of the city could even be seen from the right angle. This was it, less than twenty-four hours, and they'd be making their attempt to sneak in and get to the bottom of it all. Though, from what they could see, the news was true, there was no need to trek farther. But, they all knew they wouldn't be satisfied until they witness the damage with their own eyes.

"We'll keep going first thing in the morning," the brunet announced, seeing no point in carrying on when night was just around the corner. This was dangerous and risky enough as is, no reason to push their luck.

At that, the prince's eyes narrowed as he stared at the older man through the rear view mirror. "Are you serious?" he questioned, not hiding his frustration. "We're right here, and we still have a few hours left. All we're doing is dipping in and out, and we can do that before anyone knows what happened. Why are we stopping?" his tone slowly escalated, growing louder and more demanding with each word spoken.

"Noct," the older man replied, as a warning before turning the engine off and retrieving the keys as a final statement. Ignoring the raven's glaring stare, he stepped out of the vehicle, a slight shudder ran through him as the chilled droplets made contact. They had to find a place and set the tent up before they had the chance to catch a cold. Re-adjusting his jacket and making sure it was tugged tightly around himself, he turned to the shield. "Go ahead and grab as much as you can, I don't think any of us wish to make a second trip back here.

The brute nodded, wasting no time in doing as he was asked. The other two, on the other hand, were a bit more reluctant. Noct more so than the blond. In fact, he still hardly moved an inch from the backseat.

"Do you wish to sleep in the car?" Ignis asked, impatiently, arms crossed. He sighed a breath of irritation when the other responded with an indifferent shrug. "Very well, I won't force you, but it's going to get awfully cold once the heat dissipates," he added, turning his back to the man. There was no use convincing him when he was like this. Best he could do was allow him to sulk alone until the cold drove him back to them.

The gunner glanced nervously between the two of them, his heart fluttered in his chest as the tension between them fortified. He was left standing oddly between them, tongue itching to say something that he couldn't bring himself to say. Breathing out heavily through his nose, he sauntered over to Gladio, offering him help as a means of a distraction.

With the three of them hefting armfuls of supplies, Prompto threw one more worried glance towards the raven as he bit his lip. Unable to fight back any longer, he closed his eyes to collect himself before heading towards the other.

"Noct?" he called out, grabbing his attention. "I don't think staying here would...be a good idea," he said sheepishly, eyes flicking away occasionally. "Come on, what do you say; it's not going to do anyone any good if you stay here in the cold and get sick. So, come on." He remained where he was, refusing to go anywhere without his friend, not when he was like this; it just wasn't right and didn't sit comfortable with him.

He received a couple of annoyed glances, but in the end, he couldn't hold back the slight grin of satisfaction as Noctis finally worked his way out. However, he never said a word, merely took a few things from the others and began traveling towards the glows in the distance, The other three exchanged a concerned expression, but they were pleased to say he had a change of heart at the very least. It was a start. They watched his back as he sauntered away, his pace was surprisingly quick considering the air that was dragged along with him.

It didn't take much longer for them to reach their destination, but the lot of them were thoroughly soaked, their forms were now weighed almost as much as their souls as they began setting up. The process was tedious and sullen, and there were few words said between them when everything was finally up and in order.

"Well, home sweet home," Prompto half-joked, brushing his hands together, and apparently his humor was in poor taste when the raven shot him a less than pleased look.

"Is this all some kind of game to you? Whatever it is, it isn't funny," he snapped, temper igniting unexpectedly. "Everything we knew is _gone _Prompto, and you want to pull jokes like that?"

The blond blinked a few times in confusion and stepped back a couple feet to raise his hands in surrender. "N-No, I, uh, I didn't mean to-" He flinched when the other stepped closer, the sudden movement catching him off guard and honestly caused his nerves to flare. "All I meant was…" he didn't know what he really meant.

"You know what? This whole time, you've been acting as though nothing is wrong, like this isn't serious. _Everything_ is gone, so why the hell aren't you acting like it isn't!?" he snapped, teeth practically bared as he waited for an answer.

"Noct," Ignis cut in, wanting to de-escalate before things could get out of hand.

But, the prince held up a hand, gesturing for the man to stay out of. "No, I really want to know why. Because none of us are acting like that. Maybe it's because he didn't lose as much as we have…" he added, muttering the words without a second thought.

The gunner froze, at a loss of words as he grew cold, an unfeeling and desolate chill. His mouth was slightly parted, and out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of the others slowly drawing closer, both of them in the same state of shock. "I-I…" he stuttered, eyes stinging as his hair matted to the sides of his head, "I have to go." His words were uttered, on the verge of cracking, as he turned on the spot, not listening to anything the older two men were trying to say.

"Just let 'em go," the raven said, low enough for the blond not to hear. By now he was already a good distance away, his body moved on its own in an attempt to get him as far in as short a time as possible.

He didn't know where he was going, or how far, all he knew was he needed to put some distance between them and get some time to clear his head. Deep down, he was positive Noctis didn't mean any of that, he was just stressed and upset, and rightfully so. Still, it didn't take any of the hurt away to hear such hostility directed at him. He'd never spoken to him like that, and he had no idea how to process of it or what to think of it. All he could do was keep walking and keep telling himself that he didn't mean it.

And, that's exactly what he did...for he had no idea how long. But, once he noticed how low the sun had gotten, he glanced behind him. To his dismay, the camp was no longer in sight; the runes didn't even stand out against the darkening backdrop. Shuddering as a rather strong breeze surprised him, he swallowed his pride and accepted that he had to go back, regardless of how the two of them regarded one another at the moment. As distraught as he was, it wasn't worth spending the night in the middle of nowhere at night.

Turning on the spot, he wrapped his arms around his shivering form and began the long and harsh journey back. Keeping his eyes on the ground in thought, he allowed his muscle memory to take over and trusted it to bring him where he needed to go. As he walked, the hairs on the back of his neck began to stand on end, causing his paranoia no spike out of his control. Frequently, he started glancing around him, and he knew this was mostly his mind playing tricks on him; his adrenaline from the heated argument had worn off, leaving him fearing everything that he was now exposed to. Hardly permitting himself to breathe too loudly, he pressed on, desperately wanting to get back to the others as quickly as possible.

* * *

As the minutes piled on, Ignis found himself glancing in the direction Prompto had gone more and more, his heart was thrumming along with his racing mind. It's been at least two hours, and still there was no sign of the blond returning. He couldn't help but think the guy got lost, or maybe, hopefully, he was taking a bit longer than usual to cool off. With the way Noctis spoke to him...it would be a miracle of he even wanted to come back.

Taking a deep breath, he averted his attention to the prince, he was sat comfortably in his seat, his focus settled on the fire in the middle of camp. "Well, I hope you feel better," the brunet muttered offhandedly, cutting his eyes over.

The raven shrugged, appeared as though he couldn't be bothered with small talk. His eyes remained fixated on the flames as their warmth hunted the remaining bits of chill away. At least it stopped raining, but that did little to lift the mood. "Wonder when he's coming back," Gladio thought aloud, only adding to Noctis' festering remorse. His teeth grit together quietly as the other two continued their discussion on the matter. They both worried with the darkness consuming the sky, and not so much as a call from the gunner.

"I think we should go after him," the adviser suggested after a few more minutes and more than a few calls that went unanswered. "It's been too long and we haven't heard a word from him since he left." He didn't wait for the others to reply, his mind was already made up as he got to his feet and prepared himself for a bit of a walk. "Gladio, would you mind accompanying me. And, Your Highness, if you do not wish to come along, then I ask you to stay put right here."

Noctis merely glanced in his direction and gave him a dismissive wave of his hand. After taking a deep breath and closing his eyes, he finally stood as well and made his way to the others. "Let's hurry and get him back," he sighed, tone lacking both enthusiasm and irritation. It was emotionless. He looked out where Prompto had gone, and there was no denying the sinking sensation in his chest; he really messed up and he knew it.

Without wasting much more time, the three of them set off, Ignis taking the lead while the raven fell a few yards behind them; his eyes wandered vigilantly around the area, subconsciously searching for any indication of Prompto's presence. But, of course, there was nothing, he didn't know why he expected there to be. He wasn't lucky enough for that. So, they went on, aimlessly, the time seemingly dragging on along with their feet. Until,

"What's that?" Gladio questions, gaze staring off to the side, unwavering as his ambers narrowed in concentration. "Oh no," he breathed out once the image processed, the form and colors merged into a coherent vision of panic.

He jogged towards it before the others could see what he was talking about, but from the worry and fear in his tone, they were right behind him. Their hearts thrummed and hands clenched as the chased after the brute. Swiftly, they picked up on the sight as well, the prone form stabbing daggers through their chests. Noctis, especially, was at a loss for words. "Prompto?" he muttered, the name was lost though in the ringing of his own ears. He couldn't believe what he was seeing, didn't want to; it couldn't be real, but there was his friend, lying unmoving on the ground in front of him.

"Prompto?" the adviser tapped the side of the blond's cheek, yielding zero response from him. As he let his touch settle for a moment, his brows knit from the slight chill that resided there. And, it didn't take him much longer to figure out why that was. Glancing down, crimson was quickly soaking into the knees of his pants, its warmth filling his core with lead. "Dammit," he swore under his breath. He didn't hesitate as he lifted the gunner's shirt, revealing the rather deep laceration adorning his side. This was bad.

As soon as he turned his head to bark instructions to the others, a potion was already outstretched towards him, which he accepted with a nod of thanks. The prince returned the gesture and stepped back in order to give the brunet some room to work. Ignis held his breath as he popped the lid open and carefully poured its contents over the wound, which quickly glowed as it did its thing. In the matter of seconds, the once painful-appearing injury was nothing more than a pinkish mark, obscured by the blood that still stained him.

Sighing in relief, the adviser returned his shirt to how it was and checked the blond over for any other wounds, relieved to so no other that caught his attention. "We should get him back to camp," he muttered, stating the obvious. As he said this, he carefully slid his arms under the gunner and gently lift him as he got to his feet. Noctis cringed his he watched his friend's head loll lifelessly to the side. It was damn near sickening and his stomach churned at the sight.

Swallowing thickly, he followed after the other two, his steps far more hesitant and forced than they had been previously. All he could do was keep his focus on Prompto's head as the brunet hauled him the rest of the way; not a single word was uttered for the entire trip back. As soon as they were back, Ignis placed him down gently, making sure not to jostle him too much should there be any unseen damage; but, there was no reaction, he was still out cold. Ignis chewed on his bottom lip and pressed the back of his hand to the gunner's forehead and made a 'tsk' sound under his breath.

"What is it?" Gladio asked, not missing a single beat.

It took the other a minute to answer, but when he did, they could sense the unease in his tone. "Slight fever," he announced, voice tight. "Though, it's rather common with wounds such as this, it's still early for that." The bewilderment was felt by them all.

Noctis shuffled uncomfortably on the spot. "So? What does that mean?" he asked. Impatiently, as he folded his arms expectantly. His gaze shifted from Ignis to Prompto as he waited for an answer.

Again, the adviser was reluctant in replying. "Could be poison," he breathed out, knowing the weight of a claim like that. "But, don't worry, at the moment it doesn't seem to be anything fatal. It very well could just be his body reacting to the injury. Though, I still say we should keep an eye on him just to be safe." The others hummed in agreement

As the brunet got back up to continue with what he was busy with beforehand, the prince took his spot and sat next to the blond, his gaze locked in a stare as it was unable to pull away from his pallid features. How did he manage to look so ill when he was just so energetic a few hours ago; the difference was astonishing. Taking a shuddering breath, he forced his shoulders to relax and controlled his inhales to be more steady. This was his fault, there was no denying it, if he hadn't said those things…

The raven shook his head and lowered his gaze. No, he couldn't think like that, no matter how true he saw it to be. As he let his eyes drift back to the gunner's face, his breath caught when a couple beads of sweat could be seen trailing down the side of his face. And, Prompto's face scrunched in obvious discomfort as his breaths started coming out in heated pants. "Ignis," he muttered, knowing that wasn't loud enough to get the man's attention. "Ignis!" he called with more panic just as a slight whimper left the blond's now tense form.

It took him no more than a few seconds to reach the prince's side, already in caretaker mode. "What's wrong, Noct?" he asked, but he was positive he already knew the answer to that and wasted no time in checking Prompto's temperature again. His eyes widened as his hand instantly picked up on the heightened fever, rising in the matter of a few minutes.

"That's it, we need to get him help," he declared, leaving no room for discussion. "We're out of antidotes and we haven't the time to pick up more. Gladio, you carry him this time, I'll gather the essentials. Noctis, you go with him back to the Regalia, and I'll be there as quickly as I can.

For a moment, the prince was stunned, feet locked in place and legs growing week. His hands trembled at his sides. What the hell was going on? Why were things escalating so quickly...this wasn't supposed to happen. They were supposed to find him, bring him back and have a quiet and awkward dinner. Then, everything was going to be just as it should come morning. So, why- "Noct!" Ignis snapped, jolting the young man from his thoughts.

"R-Right," he stuttered, mouth suddenly bone dry as he jogged after his shield, who by now was a good few yards away. His body moved on autopilot though, there was no thought or purpose to his steps; his mind was too preoccupied going over what could have happened, and what would have happened would he had just thought before speaking.

"Hey," the brute grunted, pulling in the other's attention. "There's no point in sulking right now, save that for when he's safe, you got it? Right now, he needs you to have a clear head, so don't let 'em down."

The raven watched him for a few seconds before nodding. He was right, he knew he was, but that did little to lift his resentment. Oh well, he guessed he could at least pretend like this wasn't completely his fault, at least until they got him where he needed to be. Repeating to himself that everything would be fine, he easily kept up with the larger man's face. He only paid attention to those words of encouragement, all the way until the reached the car. Even when they got Prompto safely inside, and even when the blond's face paled further; he continued his internal mantra.

The moment Noctis glanced over his shoulder, the brunet was there, catching up to them in no time. Sometimes he forgot just how fast that man really was; it was pretty damn impressive, and if the situation weren't so serious, he'd have vocalized that amazement. With all of them now seated and on the way to the nearest city with a medical center, Noctis found himself growing more and more tense; everything was a blur, and he noticed nothing for the entire drive.

The landscape was all the same, the sounds of the Regalia were no different, and everyone's breathing blended into one. This was taking forever, why was it taking so long, they should have been there by now. He glanced at the clock, and gritted his teeth to see that only a few minutes had passed. Subconsciously, his right hand scratched at his left, a nervous habit as time moved at a snail's pace.

He had to calm down, he was freaking out for nothing, everything was going to be fine and this would be something they would laugh about in the future. The corner of his mouth tugged at the thought of that; he was sure that would be the case. They'd get him to a doctor, they would work their magic, and they could put this all behind them...but, that wasn't the case at all. He'd never be able to look at Prompto without the guilt clawing at the edges of his mind. Nothing would be the same between them, and he was to blame for that…

Noctis' head snapped up when they came to a sudden stop, and his eyes instantly located the sign...it was a hospital. Under no circumstances could he feel at ease when seeing that sign, and he shivered at the view of it. The other two were already getting out: Gladio taking care of getting Prompto inside, and Ignis heading to the front desk, both of them moved quickly, assuming the prince to follow right after them. Even still, he couldn't bring himself to move from the spot, his legs solidified into lead.

Though, he couldn't stay there; Gladio was right, Prompto needed him now more than ever, and he couldn't afford to be sitting out here sulking to himself. He glanced towards the building and kept his eyes locked on it while he slowly stepped out of the car; the breeze hit with frigid force and he pulled his jacket further around himself as he sauntered after the others.

Stepping through the entrance, he instantly found Ignis at the front counter, filling out paperwork. The other was nowhere to be seen though. He could only assume that he was with Prompto while they did whatever it was they needed to do.

"Thank you," he heard the secretary say as she took the clipboard back. "I'll let you know as soon as we know anything. It wasn't long after that that the shield came back into view; apparently he wasn't allowed to stay with the blond and was sent back with them, forced to wait in silence and anticipation. It was actually quite cruel how they did that. They were already worried enough as it were, and they were determined to concern them more by keeping them away and holding what info they knew until the doctors were ready to fill them in.

"What the hell is taking them so long?" the raven muttered, his impatience beginning to cloud his judgement. "It's been an hour already, what are they even doing?"

"Calm down, Noct," Ignis sighed. "They're doing what they can, just be patient and let them do their job." The older man settled back, folding his hands in his lap and allowing his eyes to slide shut. Damn he was exhausted, they all were. It was getting close to a full day without sleep for all of them and it was finally catching up now that they had the chance to sit still for a while.

But, the incessant tapping of his foot carried on, as did the thrumming of his fingers on the arm rest. It was all he could do to keep himself from having a mental breakdown in front of all the other civilians. The last thing he needed was to create a scene. "I'll calm down when we get to see him," he muttered, mostly to himself with a touch of stubbornness to it. He let his gaze wander, a jolt running through him and a surge of excitement mixed with apprehension when a staff member finally walked around the corner.

"Argentum?" he questioned, unsure if he was reading that right as he raised his attention to scan the room. The name barely left his lips when a dark-haired man jumped to his feet, wasting not a single second to make his presence known. "Alright, if you three will follow me," he nodded, gesturing for them to come along down the hall.

The three of them stayed close behind, none of them particularly finding their voice for a few minutes. That is, until Ignis asked the question they all had swirling in their skulls. "I take it he's going to be fine?" he asked with a hint of skepticism.

"That he will," the doctor confirmed with a deep breath. "But, let me make this clear, it would have been a lot worse had you not gotten him here when you did; the poison was fast-working, and it was already wreaking quite a lot of havoc by the time you got here. Which means, he's still due for a lot of rest and recover, so do try to be patient and not rush things, not for at least a week if you can help it," he explained until they came to a stop in front of one of the many closed doors.

He waved a hand for them to enter. "And, if you should need anything, don't hesitate to call a nurse. But, everything should be fine. Due to the fever, he may still be out of it of sorts, but that will wear off," he assured, offering them a warm smile.

The adviser bowed his head and uttered a small "Thanks." Straightening back up, he wrapped his hand around the handle and slowly opened it just enough to peer inside. From that small amount, he could make out the blond's still form, looking so out of place against such bright sheets. Casting a short glance to the others, he pushed it the rest of the way and strolled inside, instantly stepping to the side to allow the others room to join him.

The quiet between them was tangible and the prince's breath hitched as two bleary blue orbs stared back at him. He looked terrible, alive, but miserable. Almost like familiarity hadn't quite clicked with him. "Prom?" he muttered, stepping closer, the gunner's gaze followed him as he moved. "How ya feeling?" he asked, slapping himself mentally for such a stupid question.

Still, Prompto half shrugged, blinking heavily. "Alright," he slurred, taking a deep breath as if the single word was too much. "Tired."

"I imagine so," Noctis grinned forcefully, taking the chair next to the bed, his hands automatically clasped together as his eyes drifted over the other. "Try to get some sleep, we'll...still be here," he promised, casting a look at the others, silently questioning if they had the time. Ignis simply gave a solitary nod, his expression tight. He'd prefer that this go as quickly as possible, but, he hadn't the heart to say otherwise.

"I'm going to get some coffee," the adviser announced. "Gladio, care to join me?" There was suggestion in his voice, and quickly picking up on the unvoiced explanation, the shield agreed, joining the brunet in order to give the others some space.

"Hey, Prom?" the raven pulled the blond's attention back to him before he had the chance to fall asleep just yet, there was still something that needed to be said. "A-About what I said earlier...you know- you know I didn't mean any of it, right?" he mumbled, voice barely above a whisper. "I-I shouldn't have said those things, and none of this would have happened if I didn't. I guess what I'm trying to say is: I'm sorry and I'm an idiot, and all this is my fault," he said between clenched teeth, trying to keep his words from trembling with his wavering emotions.

Noctis raised his eyes to find Prompto's clouded blues lingering on him. They darted around the prince's face, taking in every detail they could make out. "S'fine," he breathed out. "I kn...know ya didn't mean'it," he said, leaning his head to lay back flat. His eyes now stared up at the ceiling, his fingers played with the sheets. "It's been rough...for all of us," he added in understanding.

"It still doesn't excuse what I said. You've lost a lot too, we all lost our home, and I...I guess I forgot that," he muttered, dropping his head once more. "Anyway, I'm sorry. You had us all worried though," he chuckled light-heartedly. "We thought you got lost."

Prompto smiled back, the expression unseen by the raven. "About that...I actually did."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ~AND I BELIEVE IT IS TIME TO CLOSE REQUESTS~
> 
> (I apologize, but they're starting to really add up now. xD)
> 
> And, I'm sorry and hate to do this, but from now on, I will message people before I do your story, and if I don't get a reply, it will be skipped until I hear from you again. Only reason I feel the need to do this is because multiple times, I have written a request, and the person would never show up again. And, honestly, these take time, and if the person that asked doesn't stick around, then I don't want to take the time to do it.
> 
> Queue as of now:
> 
> ADyingFlower  
KHDreamfan  
Rain446  
Farsky  
Rubue  
Wilting Worries  
knowledge-or-death  
ImmortalMarshal  
mabver321  
Shiary  
Defiant Drift  
Prompto-cam  
xYukiNoYume  
__C'estletemps_  
Mirajane92  
Brooke3131  
Free_Bird  
MasterThiefWolf
> 
> ~IF YOU REQUESTED AND YOUR NAME IS NOT ON THIS LIST, PLEASE LET ME KNOW, I SOMETIMES LOSE TRACK~


	42. There For Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the fall of Insomnia, Noctis is understandably devastated by the events. The company of a childhood companion might be just the thing he needs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta read by: Sinikka_von_Wolperting
> 
> Request for: ADyingFlower
> 
> My Tumblr for any questions or concerns
> 
> Sorry this one is so short compared to the others, but I figured it would work better as a short and sweet story. I was afraid that stretching it out more would only end up taking away from it. So, I hope you're alright with that. ;w;

He didn't know how long he had been lying there, tossing and turning for hours as sleep never so much as tempted him. Noctis rolled over to his back, his hands crossed over his chest and he stared up at the ceiling. The light snores of the other three filled the hotel room, almost as if they were rubbing it in his face, bragging about the peace of mind they were able to so easily achieve. The raven took a deep breath and forced his eye closed once more, squeezing them and begging his body to cooperate...but it was no good. Every time he shielded the outside world, all he saw was flashes of images of his home up in flames.

Although he never got to see the true extent of the damage to Insomnia, it was just as vivid as if he had, and it stung; his chest ached and his mind refused to calm down. "Come on," he mumbled to himself, fingers digging into the sheets around him, but it wasn't helping, nothing was.

It was no use, he didn't know why he was even trying anymore. He got little sleep the night before, so why would this one be any different. What was the point anyway, what little he did get was filled to the brim with nightmares conjured form his overactive imagination. In his slumber, he still couldn't get away from the hell that was wrapping around them all. He released a shuddery breath, and despite all that, he couldn't bring himself to get up either; all he could do was stay there, lie there and sink in his own self-pity and misery.

This was plain embarrassing, and he couldn't help but wonder what his father would think seeing him like this...a disgrace to the throne and too absorbed in grief to take charge. It was damn near shameful. He hoped that it was the lack of sleep making him this way, even though deep down he knew it wasn't, it was easier to chalk it up as that. Sighing, he turned once more, this time to face towards the window, where the stars and moon were easily seen, standing out in stark contrast against the darkened sky. For a while, he stared at that, focused on nothing other than those orbs of light, letting them consume all his concentration.

'Think of nothing else,' he told himself, dark gaze flicking from one to the other. Slowly, his eyelids weighed heavily on him, dragging down gradually as his breaths evened out. As long as he thought of nothing else…

Noctis exhaled lightly, all his worries fluttering out with the breath and he began to feel lighter, then, barely audible, he heard it. A light and pitched chirp in the distance. Curious, he pried his eyes open, wincing slightly as new light pierced his eyes. His hands shifted at his sides, his fingers brushing over lush textures. The sensation called for his attention, and he glanced down, finding a grassy surface beneath him.

"A dream?" he questioned aloud, blinking heavily a few times to clear some of the remained fog. The prince carefully sat up, a breeze ruffling by, almost assisting him with the action. His right hand drifted to his head, scratching the back of it as he continued to scan around. Then, his eyes stopped to rest on a hill quite a ways off, a small figure sitting upon it. Just from the silhouette, he instantly recognized who it was. "Carbuncle," he breathed out, still slightly surprised to find him. It wasn't after the little guy showed up, only when… He blew out and pushed himself up to his feet with a grunt.

Now upright, Noctis brushed himself off, and he was finally able to see more of this place, wherever it was supposed to be. It was just an endless field, nothing but bright green grass as far as he could see. Slowly, he took the first step, it was effortless and he had the sensation of floating with every footfall. He bore no weight as he made his way closer to the messenger, who sat patiently upon the hill.

As he drew closer, the grass around him shifted hues, paling into more of a yellow color, a warmer vibe. Now a foot from the other, the buzz in his pocket beckoned for him to retrieve his phone. It was something of an instinct, something he recalled doing so many times before in the past. "Noct," he greeted, "it's been a while, hasn't it?"

The fox turned its head to the side as if in thought, and waited for the other to respond. Glancing from his phone, Noctis crouched and offered Carbuncle a small smile, but it was empty, forced and void of any true emotion. "Yeah, it has," he agreed before pushing himself back up. "W-What is this place?" he asked, still scanning around as new foliage began to sprout, and a river began carving itself along the terrain.

'A dream. More specifically, your conscious,' the other replied, getting up as well before chasing after a trail of sprouting flowers. They bloomed in his wake, leaving a path of yellow and pink. 'Follow me,' he insisted, not slowing down.

Biting his lip, the raven didn't ask questions as he trailed close behind, his steps slowly grew heavier as he went, the sensation becoming more real and physical; and, soon, he began to question whether this was really a dream. But, Carbuncle was there, so it had to be. Still, he was anxious as he went, the grass continuing to dim and darken, even the flowers were paling. Looking up, he made out clouds, sneaking into the sky as they reflected the same pallet, drab and dull. "What's going on?" he asked aloud, heart thrumming in his chest.

The other didn't reply, just kept going, determined to lead Noctis wherever it was he needed him to go. He didn't appear to pay the altering landscape any mind, like he didn't even notice it. Then, after about a minute, he stopped, pausing at the top of another hill, all the flowers behind him were now withered. And, the breathtaking scenery was nothing more than a ghost of its previous self. Again, his phone went off, and his eyes widened at the message.

'You're troubled, aren't you?' he asked. Noctis raised his attention, gasping as he just noticed the image before them. The crown city...in flames, smoke swirled to contribute to the smog that constantly filled the sky. He swallowed thickly as ashes drifted by him. 'It's hurting you,' he added, 'and the others can tell too. They can see the pain you bear, they all share it as well.'

The prince was lost for words, he didn't expect this, he wasn't used to seeing Carbuncle more serious like this. It was nothing like the first time they met… "Why am I seeing this!? Why are you showing me this!?" he demanded, voice tight with fighting emotions. Anger and sorrow battled one another for the upper hand. "Why?"

'I'm not,' the messenger answered simply, looking back to face the raven.

Noctis' breaths quickened as he kept looking over the scene below him, it was all gone, falling apart before his very eyes. This was all him, it was his consciousness, his mind, his worries and concerns. His eyes stung, either from realizing this or the smoke, he didn't know, but he dropped to his knees next to his companion, unable to stay up on his own any longer. "It's all me," he whispered.

Carbuncle scooted closer until he was touching the other, simply being there for support. 'It doesn't have to be like this,' he said, turning his head to look up at the raven. 'It can be better if you put your heart into it,' he explained, getting back up. This time, he needn't say anything to get the prince to follow after him. But, his going was slower this time as he dragged his feet through shattering blades of grass.

The farther they got from that fabricated memory, the fresher the air became, the lighter his chest got, and the easier his breaths came. Like that area was the source of it all, and leaving it was the solution to his burdens. Soon, something else came into view, and his breath caught at the sight of the Regalia, growing closer as their pace seemed to quicken. But, that wasn't all, Ignis, Gladio, then Prompto, all three of them stood around it, talking amongst themselves. They were too engulfed in their own talking to notice him approach.

He felt at ease, the sound of their voices, so clear of distress and filled with that sense of enjoyment that was lost. It was nostalgic, and he craved to have it all back. 'Not all your home is lost,' Carbuncle continued. 'It's not a place, and a home can be rebuilt, redefined when in the right company. Your physical home is gone, but your true home can never be taken away. Once you understand that, everything will be alright,' he said, a light chirp sounding out as he jumped onto the hood of the car, sprouting vines of foliage tangled around the tires, and his friends slowly faded from existence.

The prince said nothing, he couldn't, his voice refused to cooperate with him as he stepped closer to run a hand over the slick surface, the whisper of the others still lingered, lifting the air around him. 'You can't forget that there are still things that are important, and you can't let what was lost change or define you. Don't let your burdens affect those around you that care,' the fox finished, jumping down to once again stand next to the raven. 'Are you starting to get it?'

"Yeah," Noctis uttered, "I think I do." He nodded to himself, watching as liveliness flourished around him with those words; the world around him brightened, and the clouds parted to allow the warmth of the rays to shine through. "Thanks, I can always count on you to be there for me," he added, glancing down to his furry friend.

Though he couldn't emote well, the messenger appeared pleased with the outcome, his ears perking up just a little bit straighter before he ran off, in a hurry and leaving the raven to stand alone. But, everything else remained, staying with him to keep him company in this otherwise barren world. "Thanks," he repeated, this time to the echoes of the laughter that swirled around him, raising his heavy heart.

* * *

His eyes snapped open, and the first thing he was aware of was the slight tickle trailing down the side of his face. Quickly, before anyone could see, he swiped the straying tear away, slightly bewildering about its presence. Then he remembered the dream, what happened, and all of it, and he took a deep breath. He closed his eyes again to collect himself and piece it all back together. Now that Noctis was awake, it really did feel like nothing more than a dream. But, at the time, he had seemed so real, so tangible; he could still feel the breeze rustle his hair and grass lift his feet.

It was swiftly fading though, pieces of it crumbled away before he had the chance to catch them. Carefully, he pried his eyes back open, just now realizing it was morning, the light poured in through the open window. Moon and stars replaced by its blinding radiance, and it was welcoming, for once.

"Good morning, Noct," he hear the voice of the adviser greet him, eliciting him to turn and face him. "I'll be starting breakfast shortly, have you any special request?"

Biting his lip in thought, the raven shook his head. "No, thank you, anything is fine," he assured, voice slightly more reserved than normal. "But, I think I'll take some coffee." The request caught the brunet off guard, he wasn't used to the prince craving such a beverage, but he complied without hesitation.

Smiling to himself, he muttered an instant, "Of course, Your Highness."

The snores of the other two hadn't changed since last night, and he wouldn't be surprised if they were even in the same position. He was a little jealous of their ability of going to sleep and staying asleep, and he now knew how much he took that for granted. Still, he couldn't help but smile at it. Because of them...all three of them, he knew he could get through this, he could make it to the end and to the day this can all be behind them. And, until then, he'd never let go of them. They were now the only thing he had left, and they were the only once that would always be there for him. He glanced to his phone...all four of them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ~AND I BELIEVE IT IS TIME TO CLOSE REQUESTS~
> 
> (I apologize, but they're starting to really add up now. xD)
> 
> And, I'm sorry and hate to do this, but from now on, I will message people before I do your story, and if I don't get a reply, it will be skipped until I hear from you again. Only reason I feel the need to do this is because multiple times, I have written a request, and the person would never show up again. And, honestly, these take time, and if the person that asked doesn't stick around, then I don't want to take the time to do it.
> 
> Queue as of now:
> 
> KHDreamfan  
Rain446  
Farsky  
Rubue  
Wilting Worries  
knowledge-or-death  
ImmortalMarshal  
mabver321  
Shiary  
Defiant Drift  
Prompto-cam  
xYukiNoYume  
__C'estletemps_  
Mirajane92  
Brooke3131  
Free_Bird  
MasterThiefWolf
> 
> ~IF YOU REQUESTED AND YOUR NAME IS NOT ON THIS LIST, PLEASE LET ME KNOW, I SOMETIMES LOSE TRACK~


	43. For Your Sake

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So, we all know that Prompto has a fear of a number of things, including snakes. But, we can't help but wonder where some of those fears came from. So, this is just a little take on a possibility. :D

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta read by: Sinikka_von_Wolperting
> 
> My Tumblr for any questions or concerns.
> 
> Request for: KHDreamfan

Prompto took in a deep breath and ran the back of his hand over his brow to rid it of its layer of perspiration. “Damn,” he muttered, glancing up to the sky as the intense rays continued to beat down on him. It was the midst of the season, the temperatures hitting their peak for the year, but that wasn’t enough to keep him from his daily jog. He’s kept the routine up this long, no way he was going to break the streak now. Though, it most likely wouldn’t hurt to miss one day. He shook his head, it would be one day, then another, then another, and that wasn’t a risk he was willing to take. Especially not when the new school year was starting in just a few weeks.

Clapping his hands on either side of his face, he bounced in a place a few times to get his motivation flaring back up before he took off again. Everything was sluggish though, just the more reason to hurry up and get this over with. “Come on, Prom, just one round, and the rest of the day is yours,” he told himself, repeating it a few more times to drill it into his head.

For at least a few minutes, he kept up a decent pace, focusing enough to block out the overbearing heat, and his heart lightened as he spotted the shade of the forested path just up ahead. At last, some sort of relief; he sighed as he drew closer, the breeze already ruffling his hair and teasing him. The moment he broke through the threshold, he slowed down, taking a moment to relish in the new temperatures as his heart thrummed in his chest. Taking in deep and controlled breaths, he brushed a few damp strands of hair from his face and took a quick glance around.

No matter how many times he ran through this area, or how many times he’s seen it, it never ceased to amaze him with its natural beauty. He nearly facepalmed when the thought hit him: why he never thought of bringing his camera to get a few shots. Guess he just didn’t want to run the risk of dropping and breaking it...it was his only one after all. He sighed in disappointment and prepared himself for the next section of his run.

He was about half way through this, just a little bit more. Tapping his toe against the ground, he set his eyes ahead. But, just as he lifted his foot to take off again, he found himself frozen for a fraction of a second, a chill trembling down his spine as a threatening hiss warned him from his right.

Blue orbs widened in fear as he instinctively took a step back and away from the serpent, arched in preparation to strike if need be. He had no idea how he had missed it until now; his mind was too focused on his activity, blood was pumping enough to distract him from his surroundings. Again, he took another slow step back, hands raised in a surrendering way, knowing full well it didn’t matter. “I-I don’t want to hurt you,” he whispered, voice shaking with anticipation. A third step back, and now he was the one hissing as two sharp pains exploded in his left ankle.

Drawing in a sharp and pained gasp, he hopped to the side, swiveling his attention around to see another perched directly behind where he was just standing. There were two of them, his chest locked up, constructing his breathing as his eyes darted around, spotting a third...then another. Why were there so many of them? It was like some sort of gathering of them as more showed themselves, coming out of hiding at the intruder.

The blond’s ankle was on fire now, trails of heat trailed up the appendage. He was sure this is what being shot had to have felt like, it burned and within seconds, putting weight on it was becoming near impossible. His breath was quickening, his fear only making it more difficult and labored as he stumbled back; he was too scared to move at this point, knowing the moment he did… Swallowing thickly, he glanced around, searching for a way out of this...there had to be one. But, a few of them were getting braver, inching forward when they realized he wasn’t retaliating yet.

It didn’t matter where he went, they could follow wherever he decided to go, he was cornered; his vision was blurring, and the fire slowly crept up his limb. ...He was going to die, out here and in the middle of nowhere, he was going to die. Quickly, he glanced behind him, his wavering sight not noticing any danger right away. That had to be his chance, it was the only one he had, there was no way he couldn’t miss it. Either way, he had to try, if he stayed here, he knew he was done for.

Without thinking, he spun on the spot, taking off back down the trail, but each footfall intensified the blazing agony, causing it to flare up drastically every time his foot hit the ground. It hurt so bad, and it was only a matter of time before it could no longer bear his weight. His ears were ringing and the area around him tilted dangerously. Prompto was barely aware of his pace slowing, his feet practically being dragged while his energy was sapped from him, evaporated by the heightening heat within him.

Only a few moments were able to go by before his leg gave out, throwing him to the ground where he remained. All he could focus on was taking in breaths as colors danced in his vision. “H...Help,” he whispered, unable to muster more force behind the plea. His throat was raw from dryness, his raking breaths irritating it further. Soon, even keeping his eyes open was a struggle, they forced their way closed, yet still, everything swirled, ringing blared, and his body weighed him down. Above it all, the hisses continued to draw nearer, never stopping their pursuit, and there was now not a damn thing he could do about it. He let out one more heavy exhale and allowed the clutches of unconsciousness drag him away. Pounding echoed in his ears as he drifted off...then another set of thuds entered, completely off from his own heart beats.

Why was everything so fuzzy, so full of cotton, muffling all sounds that entered his ears. And, the undeniable exhaustion that encased him refused to permit him usage of his limbs; he had no choice but to lie there, wherever he was and just hope it would pass. Though, the more time that passed, the more fear and panic pried its way into his core.

The blond tried to open his eyes, but they didn’t budge. He tried to call out, but all that came out was a pitiful and pained whimper. His breathing quickened, the action serving to swiftly tempt him with the bliss of unconsciousness once more. Fire still coursed through him, though it was lessened compared to before. Yet, it still frightened him, this was all so wrong. Just as he thought he’d pass out again, something wrapped around his right hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. It was strong, caring, and somehow it was calming enough to slow his breathing back down to normal levels.

“...mpto,” the voice was muffled, yet desperate as it called out to him. “...ompto,” he called again. It was familiar and grounding, it was promising. “Prompto,” he said one more time, clearly. Tightening his eyes closed again, he tried opening them once more, and he instantly winced as light assaulted him, bright white lights pierced straight into his sensitive gaze. “There you are,” the other whispered, keeping his voice low as if he was aware of the thrumming headache that accompanied his awakening.

Squinting against the fluorescents, Prompto stared blankly at the blurred figure staring down at him, the stern features looking back, their brow etched in worry. It wasn’t much longer until smaller details came into focus, the short brown hair, the slightly aged lines the told of years of experience. “M-Marshal?” he questioned, his previous fear replaced with confusion. “Wha-” he want to ask, his throat not allowing the rest of the inquiry to come out as it grated with the use of it. He cleared his throat, the action quickly elicited a small coughing fit, leaving him winded and panting once it was over.

“Here,” the immortal spoke softly, offering a glass of water. “This should help,” he added, holding onto the glass tightly, not letting the younger man take it for himself. “Take small sips,” he instructed. “And, try not to talk too much if you can help it, your body’s still trying to counter the venom.”

Nodding, the blond allowed himself to be assisted and took a few drinks, trying to take more, but Cor was quick to stop that, cutting him off the moment he deemed it enough. Sighing in relief as the cool substance eased the burn, his eyes instantly narrowed at a few marks on the man’s arm. It didn’t take a lot of thinking to put the pieces together. “Wh-What’s…?” he went to ask, unable to complete his question, his eyes never leaving the fresh puncture wounds.

He never answered, just put the glass back on the table as he pulled his arm back over to himself, effectively hiding it from view. “How are you feeling?” he asked, completely ignoring the earlier wondering and changing the subject. Cor took a deep breath at the lack of a response. “You know, you scared the hell out of me out there. Found you, on the ground and not moving. I thought…” he didn’t finish that statement, didn’t need to, they both knew what he thought. “Glad you’re alright though,” he said quieter, his hand again giving the younger one’s a solid grasp. “With the season, and the heat like it is, it makes for the perfect environment for those creatures,” he explained. “You were in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

“How?” Prompto asked, hoping he’d understand what he wanted to know from the single word. Cor glanced up and met those glassy blues, and the bewilderment shone through clearly. Then, the second question struck a bit more deeply… “Why?”

He thought about it for a few moments, debating whether or not he should be truthful with his answer or not. It wasn’t exactly something a lot of people knew about, nor was it something he was very open with revealing. Cor chewed on his lower lip for a few seconds in thought, and his hesitation already raised red flags. Letting out a frustrated sigh, he leaned back in his chair. This was Prompto...of all people, he supposed he deserved some sort of straight answer. Maybe not the whole truth, but he needed something.

He kept his gaze locked on the blond’s. “It’s...It’s hard to explain,” he began, “but, I’ll tell you.” He paused again, this was obviously something he struggled talking about. He inhaled deeply through his nose again. “Prompto, I know...it’s hard. Your parents not being around very often, having to do most things on your own.” The lithe hand in his own twitched at the statement, and for the first time, Cor dropped his attention to his feet, that flash of pain in those fogged blues stinging slightly. “Well, I figured since they’re gone so much...someone has to watch out for you, is all,” he shrugged, trying to make this seem more casual than it was. He knew this had to have sounded weird, shocking actually. “Don’t think about it too much though, it’s just the occasional drop in, to see how things are going, making sure you get home safely.”

He took a deep breath, hoping this wasn’t coming off the wrong way. “I’ve known you for a long time, longer than you think, and I can’t explain why, but I feel somewhat responsible for your well-being,” he finished, grasping the other’s hand a little tighter.

When he glanced up, the younger man was staring blankly at him, and if it were possible, he appeared even more confused than before. There were so many questions he wanted to ask, so many explanations he needed. This did nothing but further trouble his already racing mind. But, before he could respond to that, the door was pushed open, a woman in white attire strolling in. At the sight of them, her brows instantly furrowed in displeasure. “What are you doing out of bed?” she scolded, focus solely on Cor. “You only just woke up a few minutes ago, you shouldn't be up yet.”

Prompto raised an eyebrow at that. ‘Out of bed…’ ‘Just woke up.’ Then, his eyes darted back to the few punctures on the man’s arm, there were so many, and all of them were in sets of two, all spaced evenly between. Next, his other arm, there were more there as well. His eyes widened and his blood ran cold as his initial suspicions were confirmed.

A moment later, the nurse was helping the immortal to his feet, the slight stumble as he stood causing the blond’s stomach to churn. This was Cor, he’s never seen him in any condition below that of pristine...and because of him. “You…” he uttered, beckoning the two of them to stop mid-step. “You...really saved me out there...didn’t you?” he asked, voice light and emotionless, the shock of that revelation hitting harder than he would have expected.

Cor looked down again, refusing to look at the other right away. “Of course, if I didn’t, you would have died,” he said simply, cutting out the bull. “Look, if you’re worried about me, it’s nothing I can’t handle” He raised his eyes to look to Prompto, giving him a reassuring smile. “Besides, had it been just one, it would have been nothing more than a slight itch,” he sighed in annoyance.

“I-I’m so sorry,” Prompto blurted, as if he hadn’t heard a word of what was just said. “You risked your life...because of me,” he whispered, mostly to himself. His own eyes were dropped to his hands crossed in his lap, an expression of mortification on his face. To think, even someone as strong as Cor, was affected by those things. Sure, it took a lot, when it barely took one to take him down, but that wasn’t the point.

“Didn’t you hear me, kid,” Cor chuckled lightly. “You worry too much. I’m fine, and we’re both alright, so it’s not a big deal.” As he spoke, the woman went ahead and continued to lead him over to his own bed. Guess she got a little impatient.

“Alright,” she sighed, “the two of you can continue your chat from your own beds. I promise you’ll still be able to hear one another,” she promised, finally getting the man to comply. With both of them situated, she did a quick check of them, seeing that everything was in order and progressing smoothly, and quietly saw herself out.

Next to him, Prompto heard the heavy exhale of the marshal, his eyes directed at the ceiling. “Hey, it’s not your fault,” he said out of the blue, instantly causing the blond’s attention to snap over. “I was out there of my own free will, it’s not like you dragged me out there, and I willingly stepped in. Understand? So, don’t beat yourself up over it.”

Still, that did little to calm his nerves; it was still unsettling, to say the least, to see the marshal in such a state. It wasn’t that bad, by any means, and he was sure he’d be out of here in no time. But, the image of a man like that in an actual hospital bed because of him, because of his carelessness, it was something that was hard to swallow. “Yeah,” he muttered, accepting it for the time being. “You promise you’re ok though?” he asked, wanting to hear one last time. Though, no matter how many times he was told, the guilt and shame refused to dissipate.

There it was again, the light-hearted laugh of amusement. “You’re not gonna let it go, are you?” he asked rhetorically, groaning as he turned to his side to face the other. He may not have admitted it, but damn was everything sore. The venom was definitely leagues weaker on him, but that didn’t mean it couldn’t add up. To be honest, he was surprised he managed to even get Prompto back here before passing out himself. “Now, be quiet and go to sleep, you need the rest,” he suggested, closing his own eyes. He wasn’t doing a very good job at hiding how exhausted he was.

Now that he really paid attention, Prompto glanced the man over some more, his features, they were drawn, as if pained. The color was a few shades lighter than he remembered. All this, it was wearing down on him more than he was letting on, and all this for his sake, just so he wouldn’t feel burdened by it.

“Marshal?” he called out in the silence, his voice sounding louder as it echoed off the white walls. The other hummed in acknowledgement, cracking a single eye open to glance over. His fingers dug into the sheets, images of how those events must have played out. Every scenario he could think of painted pictures of horror in his head. From the looks of it, he didn’t hesitate to go after him, took all the bites just in order to get him out of there, everything was for his sake, and he had no idea why. “Thanks...for saving me,” he muttered, turning his own gaze to stare upwards, eyes unblinking despite how drained he was. He settled on that for now. There were still so much more he wanted to say and ask, but he was far too tired to dwell on them for the time being. They’d just have to wait until later.

“Anytime, kid,” he replied, the corner of his mouth tugging slightly. “Anytime.” Cor continued to watch as Prompto finally relaxed against his sheets, finally satisfied enough to let his guard down and take it easy. It was only a few seconds after that that the light snores sounded out and his chest rose and fell in a calm pattern. “Just don’t scare me like that again.” he murmured to himself, running his left hand over his right arm as the minor wounds still throbbed dully.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ~AND I BELIEVE IT IS TIME TO CLOSE REQUESTS~
> 
> (I apologize, but they're starting to really add up now. xD)
> 
> And, I'm sorry and hate to do this, but from now on, I will message people before I do your story, and if I don't get a reply, it will be skipped until I hear from you again. Only reason I feel the need to do this is because multiple times, I have written a request, and the person would never show up again. And, honestly, these take time, and if the person that asked doesn't stick around, then I don't want to take the time to do it.
> 
> Queue as of now:
> 
> Rain446  
Farsky  
Rubue  
Wilting Worries  
knowledge-or-death  
ImmortalMarshal  
mabver321  
Shiary  
Defiant Drift  
Prompto-cam  
xYukiNoYume  
__C'estletemps_  
Mirajane92  
Brooke3131  
Free_Bird  
MasterThiefWolf
> 
> ~IF YOU REQUESTED AND YOUR NAME IS NOT ON THIS LIST, PLEASE LET ME KNOW, I SOMETIMES LOSE TRACK~


	44. Spur of the Moment

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> During an excursion up the Rock of Ravatogh, the guys run into a bit of a predicament. With both Noctis and Prompto in danger, the other two must react fast, but with their priorities clear, one of them suffer as a result.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta read by: Sinikka_von_Wolperting
> 
> Request for: Rain446
> 
> My Tumblr for any questions or concerns.
> 
> I do a lot of fighting incidents for prompts like these, so wanted to take a different approach every now and then so it doesn't sound too repetitive. XD

One step in front of the other, one painstaking footfall at a time, and no matter how much he tried to block out his exhaustion, it did little to no good. Noctis made sure to let his displeasure known with an exasperated groan and an over exaggerated eye roll. Of all places for a tomb to be...why did it have to be here; it was at least a hundred degrees and his legs were absolutely killing him. They'd been at it for at least an hour as well and still had a while to go.

"What the hell were they thinking when they chose the locations for these things?" he asked in annoyance, practically dragging his feet through the ash-laden sand. They didn't even make it all the way yet, and he was already in desperate need of a shower.

To his right, his shield provided him with a rather rough nudge. "Quit yer bitchin'. I'm sure this extra exercise will do ya some good," he teased, much to the others expense. "Speaking of, how far is this place anyway?" he asked, directing the question to the adviser, who was positioned in the lead.

"Yeah, how much longer do we have to suffer?" Prompto added from the back. Sounding just as defeated as his dark-haired companion.

For a moment, Ignis didn't answer, clearly concentrating on his foot placement as he continued up the continuously steepening hill. "If what I gathered is correct, then it should be towards the top. Which means, if we quit dilly-dallying, then we'll be lucky to get there before the night arrives," he informed, glancing over his shoulder to silently tell the others to stop dragging their feet.

This only made the prince roll his eyes again. Did they really even need this one, it wasn't like he needed to get all of them, was it? Surely this one could have been skipped for some that were perhaps a little more convenient. "Oh boy, can't wait," he mumbled sarcastically, but quickened his pace regardless. "Let's just hurry up and get this over with, it's as hot as Ifrit's asscrack out here."

He heard the light and amused chuckle from behind him. "At least it smells nicer," the blond commented, jogging the few feet it took in order to stroll next to the raven.

"I still don't get how you can still be so uppity," Noctis shot his way, not willing to admit that he was more than a little jealous of that energy and positivity the gunner seemed to always wield. "Seriously, do you even know how to be irritated?" he muttered, obviously rhetorically.

"Why would I be?" Prompto asked, not missing a beat. "That would just take the fun out of things. And, I don't know about you, but things are a little less miserable when you give enjoying it a little more a shot. Maybe you should try it some time," he suggested with a playful punch to the other's upper arm.

The prince rubbed at the area in feigned hurt. "Thanks, but I'll pass."

"Yeah, him acting like he was actually happy about something?" Gladio scoffed. "The thought of it gives me chills. His eyes then instantly darted down as a small rock skidded from under his foot, causing him to hesitate for a fraction of a moment. "Hey, start watching your step, it's getting a little precarious around here," he muttered, gaze darting around the ground. But, it was no help, all of it looked the same to him.

As if his words were a sentencing statement, both Noctis and Prompto stopped on the spot, now overly cautious with their foot placements. With the fact that this incline was already unbelievably steep, adding some tumbling rocks on top of that… They both swallowed thickly as they pushed forward, their early joking and bantering cast aside and replaced with carefulness and anticipation.

"Just what we need," Noctis griped as another, larger, rock rolled under his step; he just barely regained his balance before he was able to follow after it. Though, he waited a couple more seconds to be sure the rest of the ground beneath him was stable before pushing on. For most of the way, it was carried out in silence, all of them far too concentrated on their steps to focus on anything else. Even the normally jovial gunner had every ounce of his attention on his feet as he walked; his eyes never leaving the ground and his mouth set in a firm line.

It took a bit longer than they would have liked, but with patience, the brunet finally reached the top, a sigh of relief escaped his barely parted lips as he swiped the back of his hand over his brow. Taking a deep breath, he turned to check on the others, satisfied to see that all of them were pretty close now. From the looks of it, Gladio was pretty close, and the others were a bit farther behind, but they also didn't have much distance to cover.

"It's clear once you get up here," he filled in, taking a few steps back to allow room for the others.

"Easy," the brute breathed out as he reached the top, brushing his hands together in a casual manner. "You two plan on takin' the rest of the day?" he called after the others with an amused laugh. The glare he received from the raven was well worth the minor teasing. Swiftly, like a switch, his lighthearted tone and playful demeanor fell into something much more serious and urgent as panic gripped at his heart.

Ignis was quick to catch on too, both of their gazes darting to the cliff to their left, the rumbling coming from it filling the pits of their stomachs with solid fear. "Shit!" the adviser uncharacteristically swore under his breath. "Noct! Prompto!" he cried out, desperate to get their attentions, and fast, trying to give them a quick word of warning while he could. But, it was too little, too late as pieces of the rocky wall crumbled upon the slope, and just as they were a mere few feet from the top.

There was no time to think, no time to communicate with one another to come up with a plan, they both just acted on their own. Both adviser and shield jumped forward, grabbing for the hand closest to them without any thought. They each had a hand in their grasp and instantly pulled until they were out of harm's way. Letting out a quick and relieved breath, Ignis held the hand tightly in his own and looked up a few inches to stare into the wide gaze of the prince. Then, they wandered just a little bit farther to find his other hand, held tightly in the brute's. And, his chest clenched painfully, a hollow sensation coursing through him.

"Prompto," he uttered, almost inaudibly. They both grabbed onto the raven, acting on their own as neither of them instinctively went to the aid of the blond. "Prompto!" he called out, louder, but the deafening decaying of the rock drowned out any answer he was sure to get.

Confused and dazed, the raven remained silent for a few moments while things processed. "W-What the hell...just happened?" he questioned breathlessly, clearly still stunned. But, with the fear residing in his adviser's tone, he slowly turned to look over his shoulder and take in the carnage. "P-Prom?" he stuttered, instantly shoving both hands from his own and went to stumble back down the hill, but both were quick to stop him from moving an inch.

"What are you doing!?" he snapped, yanking and pulling against them both without success. "L-Let go of me! I have to make sure he's alrigh-"

"Noct!" Ignis cut him off sternly. "Do you intend to knock more of the boulders loose and risk putting him in more danger?" he asked sharply, getting right to the point with his eyes narrowed. "One wrong step or movement, and you can send all those rocks tumbling even farther."

The raven had nothing to say to that, he knew he was right. And, looking back, he watched as the last few settled, his heart thrumming almost in sync with their landings. Prompto was somewhere mixed in with all that...probably hurt, and he could do nothing but watch and wait until it was safe. His hands clenched and his teeth grit. "Why?" he muttered, eyes dropping to the ground. "Why did you guys grab me!?" he demanded. "I could have easily warped out of there, he...he couldn't!"

"We didn't have time to think, and you are our prio-"

"I don't give a damn, there were two of you!" he needlessly reminded. "And neither of you thought to go after him?" His hands were shaking by this point, his eyes stinging as he spun around to face the both of them, not even bothering to hide the blazing fury in his gaze. They basically sentenced the blond to death…

* * *

Everything hit at once, after he heard his own name being shouted in a panic, everything was a blur and only quick images passed through his throbbing skull. Then there was the pain, the agonizing and crushing pain that struck him all over, repeatedly without hesitation. He couldn't even cry out, couldn't yell for help, couldn't ask what was happening. All his body's energy was going towards its attempts to stay in one piece. All he knew was, he was falling, and fast; he didn't know which way was which. And, finally, after what felt like ages, it all stopped. But, the pain, it only intensified.

Moving hurt, breathing hurt, hell, being awake was damn near intolerable. What happened? Where was he? He was so utterly confused and lost, and still, blackness was tantalizingly creeping at the edges of his vision.

'Noct!' he thought, trying to pry his eyes open. 'H-He was right here,' he started to panic, praying that the raven was alright. Maybe he managed to get out of this in time, perhaps he was fine. He had to be. Prompto refused to believe he would get caught in a mess like this. But, there was this burning desire to make sure. In order to do that, however, he had to get out of this himself. It was difficult though, when every inhale sent stabbing jolts of fire through his ribs and chest. Even his arms, they were weighed down...no, they were pinned down. He couldn't move.

He was light-headed as his limbs automatically tried to pull against their unseen binds, struggling to get some sore of relief from this stony prison, but it was no use. He was stuck, and his breath was getting caught in his throat...he couldn't get enough air in his lungs, there wasn't enough room in inhale deep enough, his body hurt too much to take in oxygen. And, it was so hot, too hot. He had to get out of this, if he didn't… He jerked his arms and legs more and more, the promise of death if he didn't fueling his tiring actions.

Despite his efforts, there was no progress to be had, nothing budged, and all he accomplished was wearing himself out more and bringing forth more strain on his form. 'Noct...Iggy...Gladdy,' he thought, wanting nothing more than to call out to them, but he couldn't even catch his breath anymore. Things were getting tighter, crushing more heavily against him. He wanted to curl up, he wanted to hide, he just wanted to get away from all this.

Unexpectedly, everything grew quiet, the ringing in his ears rising in volume until it was all he could hear. That and his own quickened and short breaths of panic. Then he knew, he had to calm down, he couldn't freak out right now, it was doing nothing but making things worse. However, he couldn't take in deep breaths, his flaring ribs wouldn't allow it, and the rapid breathing wasn't doing him any favors.

He knew there was nothing he could do, knew that all his efforts were for naught; he needed someone else to save him. But, there was that deep and swirling terror that nagged and yelled at him that this was going to be his rocky tomb.

* * *

It was getting harder and harder to refrain himself from charging out here; the only thing from keeping him from doing so was the warnings from the others of the possible risk it could produce for the gunner. But, he didn't wait there silently or patiently as the seconds ticked on. And, as soon as the last rock settled, he could no longer contain himself; without waiting for any instructions, Noctis tossed his sword to cling to the top of the cliff, making sure to strike a secure area. The cries of his name followed after him, but they weren't fast enough.

"Prompto!" he called out, heart racing as eyes scanned over the carnage. He was out there somewhere, and he was determined to find out where. "Can you hear me!?" he asked, voice already cracking form his overflowing worry. Breath hissed out between his teeth at the lack of responses. 'Where the hell are you?' he questioned to himself, growing more uneasy by the moment.

There was no sign anywhere, and he was ready to move on to another spot if need be, anything to find him. He would search all day and night if he had to, he couldn't have gone far. Although...that was a lot of rubble, too much. He swallowed thickly and his hand tightened painfully around the hilt as he prepared to drop down and search on foot. Then, something caught his eye, it was slight, but he saw something shift.

"Ignis! Gladio!" he yelled back to the other, tone heavy with his escalating relief and excitement. But, those were swiftly washed away by fear and panic. "I-I see something," he added, going ahead and dropping back down. "It's...It's Prompto," he breathed out, every fiber of him hoping and praying that to be the case. Still, a small part of him hoped it wasn't, hoped that he had managed to get away and he wasn't really caught in this mess.

He dropped to his knees the moment he reached the spot, ignoring the pain that erupted from the harshness of the fall, and his hands hovered over the spot unsure of what to do. "P-Prompto?" he stuttered, instantly finding his body...pinned on the other side of a rather large boulder. His eyes were scrunched shut in pain and his breaths were coming out in quickened pants. "Hey," he whispered.

"Noct!" the brunet called out in warning as he approached, stopping a few feet away upon seeing the image before him. "Be careful," he said with authority, stopping the prince before he could touch or disturb anything. Still, Ignis couldn't tear his gaze away from the trembling gunner, small spasms traveled down his right arm and leg. He could only assume the other side was the same, but they were hidden from sight. Letting out a heavy breath, both him and Gladio inched forward, the latter moving surprisingly lightly as he made his way over.

"Son of a bitch," the brute muttered, half-stunned, half petrified. Even he feared coming any closer, but there was no choice in the matter. With the size of these rocks, he doubted the others would be able to do it without him. He was absolutely terrified of touching anything though, any wrong move, and he could cause the rocks to shift the wrong way, causing more damage to the blond. Damage he was sure he couldn't afford to take.

Ignis was the first to reach out though, his fingers pressed firmly against the younger man's neck, the touch reviving a bit of his energy as a whimper escaped him. "Prompto," the brunet spoke softly, "can you hear me?"

For a few seconds, there was no reply, then a slight movement of his head that could only be interpreted as a nod. "Alright, good," he went on, keeping his fingers where they were, his brows knit together at how erratic his pulse was, it was weak as well. "Noctis, how many potions do you have on you?" he asked, silently asking him to hand over as many as he could spare. Without a word, the raven dug around in his pockets and instantly offered three of the vials.

"This enough?" he asked, not that it mattered, it was all he had.

"More than enough," the older man assured with a curt nod. "Alright, Prompto, we're going to get you out of here. I'm sorry, but it's not going to be pleasant," he warned, casting a look over to the shield and gesturing for him to do what he had to do.

Said man took a deep breath, shoving his apprehension down and willing his nerves to settle down before he stepped any closer. He couldn't let his fear get the better of him, he had to keep a level head for the other's sake. He circled around once, trying to figure out the best angle to do this from, and after some consideration, he stood on the other side of the others. "Imma try and do this as quick as possible. When he give the signal, I want you two to get him out of there," he instructed, seriousness clear in his voice.

Planting his feet, Gladio placed the palms of both hands flat against the largest of the boulders, the rest would fall away with hease when the others pulled him out. He closed his eyes for just a second to gather his wits. 'On the count of three', he thought to himself. 'One...two...three!' With everything he had, he pushed on the obstruction, his muscles burned with the exertion. "Now!" he grit out, teeth grit and body protesting.

The moment the rock was lifted, the other two hesitated for a second as the blond's agonized cry sounded out, his eyes snapping open as hot and tormented tears spilled over. Every exhale was accentuated by a minor whimper and every inhale was dragged in forcefully. Shaking his head, the brunet grabbed hold of one of the blond's shoulders, beckoning for the raven to do the same. And, together at the same time, the pulled, blocking out the pleading wails of their comrade as he was extracted from his confinement.

As soon as he was safe from harm's way, Gladio released his hold with a grunt and began to fling his arms to rid them of their tightness. "Damn," he muttered, immediately forgetting his own troubles as he again focused on the gunner lying just a few feet away. "How is he?" he asked not a moment later, his heart dropping the more he looked the kid over. It didn't take a genius to see the extent of some of the injuries. At least one of his wrists were broken, and if his breathing was anything to go by, there had to be at least a few ribs cracked if not worse. And that was just what he could see on the surface.

Ignis didn't wait any longer and grabbed hold of the first potion, and in one fluid motion, he pressed it until it shattered against the center of the blond's chest. The initial force of it elicited another cry from the gunner, whose face contorted in discomfort. But, as the shine slowly ebbed away, as did his reactions. Slowly, he calmed down enough for his breathing to even out to the most normal it had been since they found him.

"Prompto?" Ignis tried again, this time relieved to see a bit more of a reaction out of him as one eye cracked open after some effort. "Are you with me?" he added, patting the blond's cheek lightly, getting a small groan out of him.

He opened the one eye a little wider and tried to take a deep breath, but it got caught in his chest and another cry tore from his throat. His right hand instantly flew to grip at the left side of his chest, fingers grasping desperately at his shirt over his ribs. Hissing under his breath, the adviser snatched the next potion up and repeated the process, then again with the third, never even waiting to see of the second was enough. He already had a feeling it wouldn't have been.

Once the last of the glow dissipated, the gunner was left breathless, eye fluttering as they tried to open and as he tried to make sense of things. The others gave him his space, gave him time to piece things together and get his bearings on his own without interference. After a few moments, bleary blue orbs settled on the first face they could make out. "I-Iggy?" he croaked, voice hoarse and strained as he licked dry lips. Turning his head, he winced with a dull throb that echoed through his head.

"Take it easy," the brunet muttered, shifting himself in a way to prevent the blond form moving too much. "Where does it hurt the most?" he asked, pretty sure he already knew the answer to that.

Still, Prompto thought about it for a moment, his racing mind making pinpointing anything rather difficult. "Dunno," he answered honestly, "...everything. Chest," he answered more specifically as another breath sent spike of fire drilling through his core. His hand still rested on the area, the rest of his body still hadn't moved from their positions either. "Everything...hurts," he repeated.

"I'm sorry, but we don't have any more potions," Ignis informed sorrowfully, carefully lifting the gunner's head to place it in his lap. "Think you can manage being moved?" he asked, hating to have to already move on, but it was far too dangerous to stay here. Surprisingly, the blond gave a nod, but made no move to get up, almost like he was too scared to. "Gladio," Ignis muttered, not having to say more.

The shield nodded and slowly crouched down next to him to slip his hands under Prompto's shoulders and knees. Even that little bit pulled a few gasps and hisses from the younger man. As he mumbled his apologies, Gladio gradually got to his feet, taking extra care not to jostle his burden.

"There should be a haven up ahead, we'll rest there for the night," the adviser deadpanned, shooting a worried glance at the gunner, his jades unnaturally soft. "First thing in the morning, Noct and I will get to the tomb," he announced, not in the mood to take any arguments in the matter, not that he received any. It was already clear there was no way for Prompto to carry on the way he was, not until he had some time for his body to recover enough.

For most of the journey onward, they were all deathly silent, all having their on guilt-ridden thoughts swimming through their minds. This was their fault, there was no denying that. All they had to do was have just one of them go after Prompto. But no. They both went for the prince. Regardless of the fact that Noct was supposed to be their priority, it stung to no end the betrayal of their actions.

But, he'd be fine now, he was alive, he would heal with due time. Still, it shouldn't have happened in the first place. Even as they finally reached their destination, these remorseful knowings haunted them. "Noctis, get a place for Prompto set up," Ignis instructed as he began getting other stuff prepared. As soon as that was done, Gladio lied the gunner down and got to taking care of his own stuff. Before long, camp was set and ready, and the prince perched himself next to his friend, occasionally glancing in his direction.

"You alright?" he asked, unsure why he even needed to.

"Will be," the gunner replied, flatly. "Give or take...a few hours," he chuckled lightly, as if he wasn't just on the brink of death not too long ago. Even now, he was forever trying to be positive about things. "A-Are you ok?" he asked, brows knit together in concern as he looked the other over.

This caught the raven off-guard, was he really asking him that? Asking if he was alr- "Of course, I'm fine," he almost snapped. "I'm perfectly fine, I was never in danger in the first place, I didn't need the saving. How can you lie there, barely able to move, and ask me if I'm alright?" he blurted out, eyes stinging and heart racing. "You're the one...nevermind," he sighed, lowering his gaze.

"Really," the blond cut in, "it's alright. This is...how it's supposed to be, right?" he grinned despite the aches that still plagued him. "As long as you're safe, the-"

"That's not how this is supposed to work," the prince interjected lowly, the other two both pausing in their tasks to face the statement. "We're all supposed to be in this together, and I don't want any of you choosing me over another just because of a damn title." He cut his eyes over to the older men, "I don't want someone being sacrificed for my sake."

"Noct, you know that's not wha-"

"Well, that's what it feels like!" he snapped, jumping up to his feet in an instant. "And, I'm sick of it. I don't want anyone getting hurt just so I can be _saved_. It makes me sick," he added, voice calmer as his initial anger slipped away. "It's enough, stop worrying about me so much, I'll be fine."

The rest fell silent, unsure what to say after an outburst like that. "Well, if I had known that's how ya felt," Gladio snorted, breaking the tension with the light-hearted response. "If that's the case, I'll be sure to let ya get crushed next time," he joked. "But," he started again, more serious, "you should know, it's not as if we did it on purpose, we both just acted on our own. Had we time to think about it, I can guarantee we would have assisted both of you," he clarified.

"Besides...I'll be fine," Prompto reminded, forcing himself to sit up with a string of hisses and groans, but he managed to get himself propped on one elbow. Even against the other's protests, he held the position. "Sometimes...you worry too much," he said between grunts, unable to stay that way for much longer before lowering himself back down.

Noctis just sighed, it was like it was impossible to get through to this guy sometimes. "All I'm saying is, my well-being shouldn't outweigh anyone else's, no matter what my status is," he repeated, wanting that to get through if nothing else. "Understand? If someone has to pay the prince just so I will be alright, then it's not worth it." With that, he sat back down and folded his arms over his chest, glad to finally get that out there, it was long overdue and something everyone needed to hear.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ~AND I BELIEVE IT IS TIME TO CLOSE REQUESTS~
> 
> (I apologize, but they're starting to really add up now. xD)
> 
> And, I'm sorry and hate to do this, but from now on, I will message people before I do your story, and if I don't get a reply, it will be skipped until I hear from you again. Only reason I feel the need to do this is because multiple times, I have written a request, and the person would never show up again. And, honestly, these take time, and if the person that asked doesn't stick around, then I don't want to take the time to do it.
> 
> Queue as of now:
> 
> Farsky  
Rubue  
Wilting Worries  
knowledge-or-death  
ImmortalMarshal  
mabver321  
Shiary  
Defiant Drift  
Prompto-cam  
xYukiNoYume  
__C'estletemps_  
Mirajane92  
Brooke3131  
Free_Bird  
MasterThiefWolf
> 
> ~IF YOU REQUESTED AND YOUR NAME IS NOT ON THIS LIST, PLEASE LET ME KNOW, I SOMETIMES LOSE TRACK~


	45. Thanks For Worrying

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Out on his daily run, something that should be second nature to Gladio by now, somehow manages to go so wrong in the blink of an eye.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta read by: Sinikka_von_Wolperting
> 
> My Tumblr for any questions or concerns.
> 
> Request for: Farsky
> 
> YESSSSSS, Gladio is finally getting the 'short end of the stick', I might say. ;D

His muscles ached as the tightness was stretched away, the heat of the rays bathing him in their warmth. Gladio let out a soft groan as a few joints popped under the strain, and instantly shook his hands to rid himself of the residual stiffness. He cast another glance back at the camp, still as the others continued on with their slumber; not even the adviser was up yet. Letting out a heavy breath, he turned back to the path in front of him and brushed his hands together in preparation for this morning's run. The sooner he got it over with, the sooner he'd get to come back and relax for a bit before they pressed on. Normally, he looked forward to these early workouts, but with the constant fighting and traveling, it was really beginning to become more of a chore. For a moment, the brute considered waking Noctis up to join him, though, this wasn't a time he was really willing to listen to his whines and complaints.

Chuckling slightly to himself at the thought of it, Gladio went a few steps to his starting point. His eyes were set on a formation of boulders in the distance, that was his turning point. He'd just run there and back, and although it didn't look that far, it was definitely farther than it appeared.

Inhaling deeply one more time, he was off, immediately setting himself into an easy and casual pace, one he'd be able to maintain throughout the length of his run. Well, at least he couldn't complain about the temperature, for once, it was actually decent out. Not too hot, and not cold either; it was warm enough with a nice breeze. Within a few minutes, he had already covered quite a bit of ground, but still had some ways to go; the terrain was swiftly altering under his feet, becoming a little less smooth.

Still, it wasn't anything he couldn't handle, he'd trained with worst. This was almost laughable in comparison, and his speed unconsciously increased, his legs moving on their own as he smiled to himself. This was going to be over sooner than he first assumed. His fists were clenched tighter as he went, adrenaline pumping through his veins.

It hadn't even been ten minutes, and already he was working up a sweat. He swiped the back of his hand over his forehead and glanced back...he managed to cover a pretty large distance in such a short amount of time, maybe he was going quicker than he thou- He gasped in a sharp breath as his right foot came to a sudden halt. There wasn't a chance for him to investigate before his body was tossed forward, his momentum betraying him in an instant. It all happened too fast, too quickly for him to react in time. His hands reached out to try and break his fall, but it wouldn't have mattered either way.

In the next second, he knew he was falling, rolling down an incline, a rather steep one at that, and there was no way he would have been able to stop himself. A series of gasps and hisses filtered out as he tumbled on, his eyes squeezed shut as he was thrown into a state of disorientation. However, eventually, it all finally came to a stop, leaving him lying on his back and breathing heavily.

"Sonuva…" he muttered, hand reaching to rub the back of his head. He was just glad no one was around to see such a spectacle of his momentary clumsiness. It wasn't something that happened often, but he knew he would never hear the end of it if the others were to know about it. Gladio took a shuddering breath and pushed himself to be propped on his elbows as he looked back up. Now that he could see it, it really wasn't that far of a fall, guess with all the turning, it just felt differently.

'Guess it's time to get back to it,' he thought to himself, getting ready to get to his feet; but, one slight movement and he had to fight the urge to cry out from the unexpected pain that exploded in his left leg. With his eyes scrunched, he cracked one open to glance out. Not normally one to have a weak stomach, even he was struggling not to gag at the sight. Had it been someone else he was looking at, it wouldn't have been so hard to witness.

His gaze lingered on it though, the object that protruded from his calf, sharpened tip sticking in the air. A hue of red coated it. "Shit," he ground out between clenched teeth, the agony already causing his hands to shake slightly. He hesitated, unsure of what to do, not knowing if he should leave it in or remove it; he knew the latter would only cause it to bleed more, but damn if it didn't hurt like a bitch leaving it in like that. Every movement would just pull on it more, and possibly do more damage if he attempted to walk or move with it like that.

Then he perked up. Of course, his phone. Mentally facepalming, he dug the device from his pocket, as much as it pained his pride to call like this, he didn't exactly have many options. He swiftly turned it on, his hold fumbling the entire time, almost causing him to drop it more than once. "Come on," he mumbled as the phone lit to life, the logo finally fading out and allowing him to do things. He wasted no time in dialling the first person that came to mind: Ignis. Hitting the call button, he pressed it to his ear only to get a dead tone. Frustrated, he pulled it away to see that he had no signal.

"Dammit," he swore under his breath. "Figures." He stuffed it back away, grumbling the whole time. Glancing back down to his leg, his hands reached down to hover over it, he was afraid to even touch it, but he had to. Taking a deep breath and holding it, he just brushed it with his fingers and instantly yanked his hand back away with a whimper and a bite of his lip.

Alright, he could do this, he's had worse injuries than this one, so why was this one so hard to deal with? Tensing at the thought of what he was about to do, he shrugged his jacket off and tossed it over the stick. He couldn't believe he was really going to go through with this, but he knew he couldn't think about it, he just had to do it before he came to his senses and changed his mind.

Determination now set in his core, his left fingers digging into the grass and dirt, his right wrapped firmly around the stick, and with zero reluctance, he gave one swift and strong tug. This time, there was no holding back the scream that ripped from his throat, he knew it was going to hurt, but hadn't anticipated it being quite as bad as it was. The stick was instantly dropped from his trembling grasp as colors teased his vision and the world around him blurred dangerously. He couldn't pass out here though, not way out here and so far from help. This place wasn't the most dangerous that he was aware of, but he wasn't willing to bet on it, not with the way their luck usually was.

Eventually, and much to his relief, his eyes cleared up, but the stings and throbs continued to snake up his leg and assault him mercilessly. If only he could will those away as well, but there wasn't a chance that was happening, not with how utterly fierce they were. Now, all he had to do was get back up and back to camp; why did he never carry any curatives on him, it should have been something they all should have been doing by now.

He blew out a steadying breath as the last of the dizziness fled his being, and in the next second, he had his sword drawn. Against his better judgement, which told him to stay put, he stabbed the end of it as deep into the ground as he could get. The resulting tremor that ran through him elicited another sharp hiss of pain when it reached his leg. Ignoring the searing sensation to the best of his abilities, he hefted himself up with the unwavering assistance of his blade. It took some time for him to find his balance, but once he did he was standing rather steadily considering. Though, taking a step was still a scary thought in the back of his head, one he'd have to get over quickly.

There was no more time to waste, not with the way his wound was consistently bleeding anyway. So, shaking that fear and apprehension from his head, he took the first couple of steps, only letting his left foot stay on the ground for a fraction of a second. Even that short about of time was enough to send sparks of fire through the limb. The entire appendage throbbed as fresh blood trailed down it. Biting the inside of his cheek until his teeth broke skin, he pulled his weapon from the ground and repeated the process in hopes of becoming used to the discomfort. Of course, there was no growing accustomed to this, still, a man could hope.

He could do this though, it was just a case of mind over matter. As long as he didn't think too much about it, he'd be able to make it back without too much issue, then he could use a potion and be done with this nonsense. The going was painstakingly slow, and also just plain painful. This may not have been the worst injury he's had, but it was definitely the most inconvenient by far. Shoving down his displeasure, he pressed on, taking this journey two agonizing steps at a time. At least this happened before he could have gotten too far; still though, it was a pretty long distance before he would be back, and he just prayed he wouldn't faint from the pain or blood loss before he could get back.

* * *

As usual, Ignis was the first awake out of the three of them, and he glanced at the other two to find them both still dead to the world, sleeping away without a single care in the world. It took him a little longer than normal to fully wake up, his body still protesting from the events of the previous day. After spending so much time in the citadel, he wasn't quite used to that much action in one go, and it was quite irritating.

Yawning one last time, he worked his way out of the tent, squinting as the early rays shone down upon his features. At that moment, he knew he'd be in desperate need of a cup of coffee before doing anything else. Rubbing at his eyes, he sauntered over to his set up, most of the stuff still sitting out from the night before and got straight to boiling water. As he waited for that, he strolled over to take a seat in his chair, taking a moment to get more of his bearings. He'd be lying if he said he didn't wish to get a little more sleep in, but that wasn't a luxury they had at the time. Besides, someone had to be the responsible one in the group and make sure the others actually got up.

Blinking heavily, he checked the time, his brain taking a moment longer than normal to process the numbers. Half past eight. He hummed to himself, it was later than he thought, or later than it seemed, he thought for sure it was earlier than that. Speaking of… He glanced around, a little confused to see that Gladio hadn't returned yet, most days he was back by this time. Although, there have been a few times where he took a little bit longer. There was something in the back of his mind that nagged him something was wrong, but he pushed it aside, convincing himself he was just being paranoid.

After a few minutes, his water was ready and heated, and he got right back to preparing his beverage. The first sip alone was a tremendous help in clearing some of the groggy fog from his head. He sighed in relief as the warm liquid ran down, and set it aside in order to get breakfast ready. But, before that, he checked the time again, nervously. His worry started flaring up again, and he found himself glancing around in hopes of seeing the man on his way back, but, there was nothing. It was just him out here as far as he could see.

As the concerns and thoughts crowded his head, it took him a few moments to notice he hadn't moved an inch. Maybe he should call him...just to make sure he was alright. If nothing else, he needed to know about what time he'd be back anyway. Taking his phone, he quickly selected the shield's name and called away, his foot tapped in anticipation only to stop at the sound of the elongated beep. Swearing to himself, he pulled the device away to try again, and then a third time, each one awarding the same results. Frustrated, he glanced to the top of the screen, and of course there was no signal, why would there be?

On one hand, he just wanted to wait here for him to get back, but on the other, the man had never taken this long, and the need to go after him for himself pulled at him. Finally making up his mind, he put his phone away and walked rather briskly to the tent, his movements a lot more stiff as he let his emotions consume him.

"Noctis, Prompto," he called the moment he was through. The sound of his voice instantly got groans and complaints from the both of them.

"What time is it," he prince moaned, using his arm to block the filtering rays from reaching his eyes. Whatever time it was, it was too early for this shit, and he let his displeasure known with another low growl.

Ignis completely ignored all protests and whines, this was not the time for all that. "It doesn't matter, have either of you seen Gladio or know where he's gone?" he asked, the borderline panic clear in his tone. The sound of this was enough to get both of them sitting up and looking to the brunet.

"Isn't he just out for a run, or something?" Prompto asked, going straight to the obvious.

The older man tightened his expression and flicked his gaze outside. "That's what I assume, but he's been gone far too long, and I can't get a call out to him," he explained. "He's usually back by now, it isn't like him to take his time like this, not when we're in unfamiliar territory," he went on, only serving to make the others more worried than they already were. "I need you two to help me look for him," he added, finally getting to his point. "I would go alone, but I wouldn't be able to cover much ground like that.

"Maybe he just decided to take a detour or something," the raven shrugged, wanting to go back to sleep, but it was no use, he could feel the glare that was rested upon him. "Or maybe something happened," he sighed, forcing himself to get the rest of the way up. Now, half-awake, the two of them followed the other man back out, both of them flinching away from the brightness of the day.

After a little bit of discussing, they thought it best to split up, but still stay close enough to one another in order to hear them call out if they found anything. By the time they began their search, it was no later than nine, almost an hour after the shield was usually back by. If it wasn't concerning before, then it definitely was now with still no sign of him.

* * *

His teeth were clenched, enough so that he feared chipping a tooth any second now. But, it was all he could do to tolerate the pain that was erupting in his leg. Every step was pure agony, and even he was surprised at how he was able to keep it up for this long so far. Maybe it was his adrenaline that still pumped vigorously through his veins. That or his relentless stubbornness that refused to let him give up no matter the circumstances. Though, much to his annoyance, the more he went on, the more his body slowed and the more his vision wavered. And, if it weren't for his sword supporting him each time he lost his balance, he would have fallen into a heap long ago.

Even so, his stumbles were becoming more frequent and fewer between, it was only a matter of time before he failed to right himself. Not to mention, his leg was still bleeding freely, the effects of which were really starting to let themselves known as his head spun slightly. "Not now," he mumbled as nausea finally clawed at his insides, his dizziness only making it worse. After a few more seconds of this, he was forced to come to a stop before he passed out or threw up, he had no idea which one would have come first, but he would have liked to avoid both if he were able to.

Gladio didn't know how long he stood there, nor did he care, but he knew the moment he took another step it was going to be hell. And, he debated, considered if it was better to go one despite all this, or stand there in hopes that it would pass, if it would pass. Which, at the rate things were going, it was bound to only get worse.

Just as he worked up the motivation to go through with it, a sliver of faltering will, his ears picked up on something, it was far, but he was sure he heard a voice. If not, then he was much worse off than he had originally thought. He glanced around, the hasty movements making his head spin even more, forcing him to lean more heavily on his weapon. Them he heard it again, but he could see nothing, his sight was narrowing, being pushed in by blackened fuzz. Before he knew it, everything was tilting, too much for comfort. He didn't even feel himself hit the ground, he just assumed he had fallen, all the weight vanishing from his legs as his side was pressed against something solid; his sword also disappeared, vanished into a shattering of blue.

"-adio!" he heard his name being called, and knew that voice as well, but he wasn't used to hearing it as alarmed as it was.

A groan grated against his dry throat, and he tried his damnedest to crack an eye open to see if his suspicions were correct. But, they didn't want to cooperate, they were too set on dragging him back into that darkness, and he was almost willing to let it happen, anything to let the pain go away. That wasn't an option though, not when someone was prodding and talking to him like they were.

"Hey, you with me, big guy?" he asked again, this time with a few taps to the man's face. The question was immediately followed by a panicked, "Iggy! Noct! I found him!" His voice was so loud, piercing and causing his head to throb with ferocity. He really wanted him to at least tone it down. "Hang on, I-I got something for ya," he stuttered, clearing on the verge of losing his own cool. But, who could blame him, he wasn't used to seeing things like this, not used to seeing someone like Gladio on the edge of consciousness.

He had no idea what was going on other than the fact that Prompto was way too eager to get his attention. The constant calling him and touching him, anything he could to try and get a response from him, but he was too damn tired to bother. He tried to block it out as much as he could, but with the sudden burning sensation that erupted in his leg, he had no choice but to give some sort of response, one that was of his body's own accord. A sharp gasp and his eyes shot open as white specs popped in and out of his vision.

"I'm sorry, but I promise it'll help," Prompto apologized, guilt lacing through his words. Even if this was for his own good, it still pained him to cause further discomfort for the man. He knew he'd understand though. By the time the initial flames went out, he was left panting for breath, but at least the pain was more tolerable than it had been. "I only had one potion on me, Ignis has more though and he should be here any minute now," the blond explained. It wasn't until then that the brute was aware of the fact that his head was resting on something soft. Cracking an eye open, and regardless of his altered line of sight, it was easy to tell that the other man was without his vest.

He inhaled deeply, his mind slowly became more cognizant and he was finally able to start piecing things together. "W-Where'd you...come from?" he asked, voice tight.

"Well, you weren't back yet, and we were worried," the blond explained, sounding more than a little sheepish. "We thought something might have happened. Well, Ignis did, we just listened to him, and I guess it's a good thing too," he chuckled nervously. From the sound of his tone, the shield could gather that the must have been a mess.

Gladio groaned again and tried to sit up, but the other was fast to push him back down, doing so with surprising ease. Though, considering how much blood he must have lost and how much his strength was betraying him, it was no wonder. "I don't think you should get up yet," the other suggested, swallowing thickly. "That wound...it looked pretty bad," he muttered, the images of it still stirring his insides. "We should wait until Ignis gets here and we can give you at least another potion."

"Yeah," Gladio agreed, honestly still feeling like shit. He had no complaints to that plan. Suppressing his pride, the shield relaxed back against the ground and waited for the others to arrive. And, he hated every second of it. Luckily he didn't have to wait much longer before the adviser arrived, Noctis too a bit after that.

The both of them were lost for words upon first glance, and it was the brunet to react and jump into action first; Gladio would have expected nothing else. "Alright," he mutteredm taking Prompto's spot and instantly pulling out a potion of his own. He repeated the same process and poured the liquid straight onto the wound, watching as the small mark that was left closed the rest of the way up. "This should take care of potential infection was well, but just to be safe, when we get back, I want you to take some antibiotics," he suggested. There was no telling what kind of bacteria he could get from this place, or how fast they could infest one, but he wasn't going to risk any of the like from taking hold of the man.

"Think you can walk?" Ignis asked after a few more seconds, giving things a chance to finish before asking.

Gladio considered the question for a few seconds before carefully nodding. "With some help," he admitted, despising having to show such weakness, but it was true. Though almost all the pain was gone, aside from a few dull aches, he had lost too much blood to be moving around freely for some time. Storing away what was left of his dignity, he let the brunet help him to his feet, and even allowed him to take the majority of his weight. Until now, he never really noticed how strong that man was, to be able to take that much of a burden without much issue. It was rather impressive, to say the least.

With this, they slowly made their way back to camp. It was sluggish and clumsy, but it was a hell of a lot faster than what he had been going on his own. It was probably about ten minutes before they got back, and by then the sun was getting pretty high in the sky, definitely passed time for breakfast anyway. Ignis lead him over and carefully helped him into his own seat. He would have much rather the man lie down and rest, but without asking, he knew the answer to that already.

"Noct, get the antibiotics and some water," he instructed, the other following the orders without delay. "I'll get breakfast started now...or lunch, I should say," he corrected, with a slight grin to the brute.

The raven returned shortly after with the items and handed them over to Gladio who took them right away, downing them in one go. He still cringed nonetheless, regardless of them having no taste, he just wasn't one pleased at having to take any sort of medicine. Now that that was out of the way, he leaned back in his chair, stretching his leg out as dull pangs continued to dwell. These, he could deal with though, and hopefully they wouldn't last too much longer.

Before he could drift off, which was bound to happen with how exhausted he was, he looked to the adviser as he cooked away, his back to him. "Hey," he called out, getting a hum from the other man. "I didn't get a chance to thank ya out there. If it weren't for you, who knows, I'd probably still be sprawled out in the middle of the woods," he muttered, the realization of that finally hitting him. It was true though.

"Don't mention it, it is my job to be the responsible one, after all," he replied with a smile to himself. "I just ask for one thing in return. From now on, do try to tell at least one of us where you plan on going to avoid this from becoming a problem again in the future."

At that, the brute laughed lightly. "I think I can handle that. Or, I have a better idea, I can have someone run with me. I know of a couple people here that could benefit from some exercise."

"I think he's talking about you and Prom," Noctis chimed in from his own seat, eyes closed and arms crossed. "Don't know who else that could be." Without another word, the shield grunted and rolled his eyes. It was worth a shot. And, as he sat there, on the verge of slipping into slumber, he listened to the goings of the others as they carried on about their day as if nothing had even happened. Which he more than appreciated, they all knew how much he hated being hovered over, so it was a relief that they respected that. Plus, it made his mishap a little less embarrassing, but he knew that wouldn't last the moment one of them asked what happened. He's fought people and creatures, but it was him tripping that incapacitated him. Yeah, he was not looking forward to sharing that one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ~AND I BELIEVE IT IS TIME TO CLOSE REQUESTS~
> 
> (I apologize, but they're starting to really add up now. xD)
> 
> And, I'm sorry and hate to do this, but from now on, I will message people before I do your story, and if I don't get a reply, it will be skipped until I hear from you again. Only reason I feel the need to do this is because multiple times, I have written a request, and the person would never show up again. And, honestly, these take time, and if the person that asked doesn't stick around, then I don't want to take the time to do it.
> 
> Queue as of now:
> 
> Rubue  
Wilting Worries  
knowledge-or-death  
ImmortalMarshal  
mabver321  
Shiary  
Defiant Drift  
Prompto-cam  
xYukiNoYume  
__C'estletemps_  
Mirajane92  
Brooke3131  
Free_Bird  
MasterThiefWolf
> 
> ~IF YOU REQUESTED AND YOUR NAME IS NOT ON THIS LIST, PLEASE LET ME KNOW, I SOMETIMES LOSE TRACK~


	46. Hands Off

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When the guys finally get some down time, they decide to spend it in Lestallum. However, their night of fun and relaxation goes south when Prompto runs into trouble.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta read by: Sinikka_von_Wolperting
> 
> Request for: Rubue
> 
> My Tumblr for any questions or concerns.

"Ah, finally," the blond man exhaled, dropping lazily onto his back and allowing the fresh and clean sheets consume him. "It's been too long," he added, turning just enough to bury his face as well, the crisp scent trailing up his nostrils as he soaked it all in. "It's been too long, I almost forgot what it felt like to lay on an actual bed."

The adviser's sigh of frustration dragged his attention over to the exasperated looking man. "It appears as though you've forgotten how to remove your shoes like a civilized person as well," he muttered, giving the other a disapproving look. "I would suggest removing them, lest you track mud and other unwanted contaminants in the bed."

"And if I hafta be sleeping next to ya, I'd do what the man says," Gladio grunted, giving the gunner a slight nudge in an attempt to get him up.

Waving a dismissive hand, Prompto sat back up with a few grumbles here and there, but he slid his feet from the bed and allowed them to hang off the edge. Stretching his arms above him, he let out a lengthy yawn. "I think I'm gonna head for a shower real fast," he announced, hopping back up.

"You sure?" Noctis asked. "You know we're about to head out, right? Not every day we get to kick back a little," he said, jabbing a thumb towards the door. "You know we're not waiting on you if you do," he warned, ready to do some sight-seeing for himself. This usually wasn't up his ally, but hey, he'd be lying if he said he didn't enjoy the leisurely stroll around a city every now and then. "And, this is Lestallum, it's pretty full of just about everything."

The gunner thought about it for a moment, but eventually shook his head. "Nah, you guys go ahead, I'll catch up," he assured, getting to his own feet. Besides, you guys already promised Iris you'd meet up with her, and I've been dying for a shower for at least two days now," he went on.

"What, you wantin' to get all pampered up before seeing her?" the shield asked, teasingly.

"What!?" Prompto piped up without a second lost, his hands raised in defense. "N-No!" he stuttered, "It's not like that. Look, I just smell bad, and there's a lot of people out there, I'd be too conscious of myself," he muttered, heat rising to his features. "I just want to get all this dirt and grime off, man. Stop trying to look so hard into it," he mumbled, fidgeting with his fingers. He pursed his lips at the light-hearted chuckle that followed, only causing him to become more flustered.

A heavy clap on his shoulder was almost enough to topple him over. "I'm just messin' with ya," he joked. "Alright, we're headin' out then. Let us know when you're leaving so we'll know when you'll be meeting up," he said, giving the younger man a look until he replied.

"I will," he promised, offering the three of the, a small thumbs up and a nod. "And, don't do anything too exciting until I get there," he requested as the three of them made their leave. A few replies reaching his ears before the door closed and cut them off from one another. Breathing out heavily, he strolled his way over to the bathroom, intending to make this quick so he could hurry up and meet up with the others. Noct was right, this was a rare thing for them these days, and there was no way he was going to let it slip by.

So, he made quick work of his shower, getting it taken care of and out of the way in record time. And, luckily for him, he still had one clean set of clothes to wear. The rest were more than a little dirty. But, these would do just fine. After throwing them on, he checked one last time to make sure his hair was in place and he had his phone before he set off. As he stepped out the door, he paused, mentally slapping himself for nearly forgetting. Before moving another inch, he quickly typed out a message and sent it to the big guy.

The chilly air hit him like a truck. He knew it was going to be a little colder out, but this was a few degrees lower than he expected. Though, it wasn't quite bad enough to need a jacket, after a few minutes of walking around, and once he reached a more crowded area, it wouldn't have been much of a problem. Without wasting another moment, he was off, life in his steps and enthusiasm in his heart; excitement moved him along as he set off towards their meet-up place.

The closer he got, the more people he saw walking around, going about their business. He wasn't quite in the main area yet, so all these were most likely people that were from around here. Prompto turned his gaze as something caught his interest, his attention drifting from what was in front of him for only a few seconds. But, that was all it took for him to bump right into someone.

"Ah, I-I'm sorry!" he apologized instantly, hands up defensively as he took an instinctive step back. The man turned around, his face the perfect example of someone unamused.

He took a step closer to the blond, up until he was almost standing on top of him. "Hey, why don'cha watch where ya goin', punk?" he snarled, looking down on the other, both metaphorically and literally. After a second, he looked more closely at the blond, his eyes scanning just over his camera and a sly grin tugged at the corner of his mouth.

"I swear, it was an accident," he pressed, hands still raised and he let out a nervous chuckle. "I promise, i-it won't happen again." He ducked his head to try and go around the man, but an arm flew out to stop him, blocking his path. The gunner instantly tensed up and his heart felt as though it were about to burst with the sudden fear that coursed through him. "I...I kinda have to go," he said timidly, keeping his gaze lowered, afraid that looking up would only make this guy more aggressive...like a wild animal.

"Hold on a minute," the larger man replied, his arm still stuck out. And, as he spoke, a couple more drew in closer as well. "Why don'cha come along for a minute, I jus' wanna have a bit o' a chat," he said, feigning politeness. But, the grip that clamped around the blond's arm spoke volumes of his true intentions.

Letting out a startled gasp, Prompto tried to pull against the hold. "I really have to g-"

"Don't cause a scene," one of the others warned before a sharp pressure found it's way to the small of his back. "That is, unless you wanna be paralyzed fer the rest of yer life." The younger man swallowed thickly, his hands shaking nervously at his sides and his breath quickened. "Don't be afraid," he muttered, his breath hot on the back of his neck, "it's like he said, we just wanna talk is all."

Prompto followed along, out of terror if nothing else. It was odd, he'd fought so many things, creatures, behemoths, hell, even daemons...but people. Even if he could find a way to fight back with them, there was something about it that didn't sit well with him. "W-What do y-you want?" he asked when he was led a little bit away. Not too far from where they just were, but almost out of sight of others.

Without saying a word, the one he assumed to be the leader brushed his fingers over his camera as he eyed it greedily. "That's a pretty nice thing you got there, looks pricey," he said in admiration. In the next second, without warning, he snatched it, snapping the strap with ease.

"Hey, wai-" the blond went to protest, automatically reaching out to take it back, but in the next instant a fist struck the side of his face, cutting off his words as pain exploded on the spot. He was caught so off guard, he didn't even see it coming, and there wasn't a chance to recover before he felt himself hit the ground. At a loss for words, he simply raised a hand to his face, the throbbing lingering behind.

"My, my, this is nice," the head guy spoke on, rotating the piece of equipment in his hands like it was some sort of toy. He glanced down just as the gunner was getting back up. "You must have some sort of cash on you to buy somethin' this fancy," he said, eyes looking him over once more.

His back against the wall, Prompto returned the gaze. "I saved up for that," he explained flatly, trying his best to keep his emotions out of his tone. "I don't have an-" Again, his words were never allowed to finish coming out as he was shoved against the stone wall, the air expelled from his lungs in a strangled hiss. A strong hand gripped the collar of his shirt as the other still held on to his camera.

"Check his pockets," he ordered, casting a glance at the other two. "Take anythin' of value. Every last coin if ya can."

Now panicked, Prompto began his attempts at fighting back, kicking his legs out and managing to land a solid one on the guy's shin, causing him to loosen his hold. He took that opportunity to slip free, prying the guy's hold from him and ducking down. However, it was only for a moment and another strike hit him in the jaw, forcing him back to the ground. This time, he wasn't given the chance to get back to his feet. The largest of the three made sure to slam his foot on his back, effectively pinning him in place.

"You wanna try that again?" the leader asked before landing a kick of his own in the blond's side, getting a satisfying cough out of him. It was followed by another, then another, and a few more until he was struggling for breath, each kick refusing to let in oxygen. Next thing he knew, there was the glint of a blade as his hair was seized and his head was yanked back to expose his neck. "Tell me one reason I shouldn't slit yer throat right here an' now," he ordered.

He could only take in sharp breaths; the blade was too close to his neck for him to even speak. Even breathing was causing it to bite in deeper until he felt a warm trail slide down his neck. His inhales became more rapid and his mind buzzed as the guy laughed at his obvious fear. This was it, he was going to die, he was going to be killed in the streets over some damn money that he didn't even have. His eyes squeezed shut on his own and tried to prepare himself, but there was no getting ready for that; there was no accepting it.

World blocked from his view, he almost didn't realize that the weight on top of him was lifted...more like cast off of him. "Prompto!" His eyes snapped open at the sound of his name, calling out to him from just in front of him.

"Noct?" he breathed out in both relief and shock, but he still couldn't move, it was the residual fear that still held him in place. Luckily for him, he didn't have to, Gladio was next to him in an instant, crouching down by his side.

The larger man looked him over real fast, pleased that there didn't seem to be any severe bleeding or injuries anywhere, just a couple of developing bruises on his face. "You ok?" he asked, eyes filled to the brim with concern for the kid. He waited until Prompto nodded slowly before pulling him in close and lifting him in his arms. For a moment, he didn't react, just kind of let it happen for the time being. After what just happened, he didn't care about his pride or how this may have looked. A quick glance around told him that both Noctis and Ignis had already taken care of the guys, seeing as they were nowhere within view.

"Buncha damn scum!" Noctis spat, his tone lathered in rage. He stood a few feet away, watching as the last of the ran out of view. "Nothing but cowards too," he added, this time actually spitting on the ground in disgust.

Prompto was still at a loss for words, all of it happened so fast, he didn't even know what happened. "Guys…" he muttered, looking between the three of them, then found Iris a few yards away, her eyes landing on him. "Gladio," he addressed, turning his head back to the man, "I can walk. You...you can put me down," he assured. The larger man hesitated a moment, unsure if he actually could, but seeing the lucidness in his eyes, he deemed it alright.

Once he was sure he had his balance, he perked back up, turning quickly towards where they had run off to. "M-My camera!" he stammered, almost forgetting about it in the moment.

"Here," the adviser spoke up, reaching over with said item held securely in his hand. "I think it's alright, but you might want to make sure. I grabbed it the moment I recognized it," he said, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

Prompto eagerly accepted it, taking it with a bit more force than he meant to. "Thanks," he mumbled, turning it in his hands and checking it over. Other than a few scratches, it appeared mostly ok. It was working anyway, and the card was still in, so that's all that mattered. "Hey," he said, bringing his attention back to the brunet, "how did you guys find me?" Sure, he wasn't that far from where they were supposed to meet up, but he was still in a place that was mostly hidden.

"You were taking too long," the raven answered honestly. "We thought you got lost, so we came looking for you. Saw those three messing with someone. We didn't actually know it was you, though, until after we came over," he admitted.

"And then at the point, His Highness almost went overboard," the brunet sighed, casting the prince a look of warning. "Was on the verge of drawing his weapon, knowing full well how dangerous that is to do in a public place such as this." Noctis merely shrugged it off and waved a dismissive hand. Shaking his head, Ignis looked back to the blond. "But, you're sure you're alright?" he asked, wanting to be sure. Those bruises on his face were already beginning to turn ugly shades and he wasn't really a fan of that cut on his neck.

"Yeah, I'm fine," the blond stubbornly said, his arm unconsciously wrapping around his torso, which did not go unnoticed by the others.

Gladio narrowed his eyes and stepped a little bit to stand in front of him. "Then, you won't mind us checking under your shirt," he said, crossing his arms and setting him with a knowing look. "Unless you're not actually as fine as you say you are."

And there it was, he hit the nail on the head. "Well, I mean it hurts, but it's really not that bad," he admitted, arm tightening around himself.

"I think it's best we head back to the hotel. I can pick up a few things to make dinner with," Ignis offered, fairly certain that was most likely preferred by them all right about now, especially Prompto. "I think we could all go for a relaxing night in anyway," he said with a soft smile, one that told the gunner not to blame himself for them cutting their night out short. It wasn't his fault after all, and it was something that he couldn't have controlled. He just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

"I think I'd like that," the gunner breathed out, lowering his gaze again. "We can still stay out a little longer though, if you guys want."

"Nah, it's pretty cold out here," Noctis replied, scratching the back of his head.

Iris was quick to agree. And Gladio muttered a quiet, "Too many people out tonight. I'm not the biggest fan of crowds, kinda hard for me to move around in them, and it's pretty packed in the main area," he chuckled, lightening the mood. "You sure you're alright to walk?" he asked, wanting to be absolutely sure before the head off. The last thing he wanted was the blond collapsing on the way back due to his own stubbornness.

Prompto gave him a curt nod. "Yup, I should be fine," he promised, arm finally loosening from around his torso. "Just, don't think I can move that quickly," he shrugged, being honest. He didn't think anything was broken, but there was definitely some painful bruising.

"In that case," and, without warning, Gladio scooped him back up, not really giving him a choice in the matter. "It will be much faster this way, won't it?"

The blond's features heated up, being carried was one thing when they were out in the middle of nowhere, but here...there were people, witnesses everywhere. This was plain humiliating, and yet, not a single one of them was poking fun at him. As they went on, and all of them carried on casual conversations, he slowly began to relax; his adrenaline waned as well as his body started to beg for a bit of rest. Taking a deep breath, he glanced around one more time at all the others before allowing himself to lean his head on the brutes shoulder. After that, he didn't remember much else aside from a soft "Rest easy," from the shield before everything faded out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ~AND I BELIEVE IT IS TIME TO CLOSE REQUESTS~
> 
> (I apologize, but they're starting to really add up now. xD)
> 
> And, I'm sorry and hate to do this, but from now on, I will message people before I do your story, and if I don't get a reply, it will be skipped until I hear from you again. Only reason I feel the need to do this is because multiple times, I have written a request, and the person would never show up again. And, honestly, these take time, and if the person that asked doesn't stick around, then I don't want to take the time to do it.
> 
> Queue as of now:
> 
> 47 - Wilting Worries  
48- knowledge-or-death  
49 - ImmortalMarshal  
50 - mabver321  
51 - smarterthanthoust  
52 - Shiary  
53 - Defiant Drift  
54 - Prompto-cam  
55 - xYukiNoYume  
56 - __C'estletemps_  
57 - Mirajane92  
58 - Brooke3131  
59 - Free_Bird  
60 - MasterThiefWolf
> 
> ~IF YOU REQUESTED AND YOUR NAME IS NOT ON THIS LIST, PLEASE LET ME KNOW, I SOMETIMES LOSE TRACK~


	47. On Your Own

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Prompto's card is declined, he heads home in shame just to find a letter in the mail: a letter from his parents informing him that they believe it's time for him to get a taste of the real world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta read by: Sinikka_von_Wolperting
> 
> Request for: Wilting Worries

Sniffing for about the fiftieth time that morning already, Prompto breathed in deeply in a futile attempt to clear his airways. Groaning to himself, he sniffed even harder and released an exasperated sigh out before he again gave up. Though, he knew full well that given another few minutes of hindered breathing and he'd try it once more. He hated colds, despised them with every fiber of his being; if he could just take in air like a normal person, then it couldn't be that bad. Raising a heavy hand to run down his face, trying to rub away the exhaustion, the blond glanced up at the store front. All he wanted to do was grab some medicine, head home, and sleep for the next few days until all this was over with.

He pushed his way inside, and instantly, his shoulders relaxed as the cool air hit him, the relief of it doing wonders after walking out in that heat for the last five minutes. And, for a moment, he wasn't aware that he was just standing there with his eyes closed, soaking it all in, until the man behind the counter cleared his throat impatiently.

The blond jolted slightly at the noise, and it took him a second longer to notice what was going one. "O-Oh!" he blurted out, glancing around. "Sorry," he swiftly apologized with a quick bow of his head. Nervously, he dragged his feet over to the aisle with all the various cold medicines, eyes scanning over the labels of them all. He didn't know what the difference in any of them were, they all seemed to work the same as far as he was concerned. And, as he looked them over, the back of his throat burned and itched, beckoning him to let out a few coughs to satisfy it. Yet, for some reason, the fact that another was so close by, he suddenly was too self-conscious and settled for trying to clear it instead.

Growing more and more antsy by the second, chewing ons his bottom lip anxiously, he finally grabbed the first thing that caught his eye and glanced it over. 'Good enough,' he mouthed to himself, deciding on that and pacing as quickly as he could to the counter.

"Will that be it?" the elderly man asked, scanning the single item before bagging it up.

"Hmm?" Prompto hummed before the question fully clicked. "Y-Yeah," he replied raspily, clearing his throat again and cutting his eyes over to the amount displayed. He fumbled with his wallet and fished out his card. Hurriedly, he swiped it and waited patiently for it to read; however, he froze when the denying 'beep' signaled its decline. "What?" he asked in shock, glancing from the card to the cashier. "Let me try again," he requested, getting the go ahead. And, once more, no such luck.

Confused, Prompto took his card back and put it back away with a slow and steady breath out. He guessed he was just going to have to deal without it. It was just a cold after all, it wasn't the end of the world. Still, he needed to check as to why his card wasn't working...it was fine the day before.

"Sorry," he muttered again, thoroughly embarrassed. Now, not only did he just want to go home, but now he wanted to hide from his shame as well. He was just thankful there was no one else around to witness that. Shrinking down as much as he could without it being too noticable, he swiftly made his way back to the door and exited without a moment's hesitation. Heat rose to his features, and he wasn't sure if it was from his humiliation or from his slight fever. Either way, the sun blaring down wasn't helping.

Keeping his head low, despite the fact that literally no one else knew what just happened, he walked faster than he did when he came this way, desperate to get back as soon as possible. His eyes remained on the ground, watching his feet until he finally returned, stopping on the way to fetch the day's mail. Filtering through the envelopes, he strolled up and unlocked the front door, pausing in the middle of the threshold as he gazed upon one letter in particular; one from his parents. Curiosity piqued, he tossed the rest of it on the coffee table and brought that one letter back to the couch with him where he ripped it open.

_Prompto_

_This is hard for us to do, but the both of us have decided that it's about time you get out there and start making something of yourself. We know you just recently hit eighteen, but we believe that's more the reason to do so. The younger you get started with your independent life, the better. I know this is probably difficult to take in, but trust us, you'll thank us in due time._

_Don't worry about the utilities, those will be paid for. But, when it comes to personal expenses, from now on, those will be on you. We'll send a check every now and then for food, other than that, though, we'll be expecting you to cover for yourself._

_-Mom_

As his eyes scanned over the words, his chest tightened while they sank in, and he had a hard time believing what it was saying. They actually cut him off. Of all times to it...did it really have to be now. As devastating as this was to him, he found himself to be not as affected by it as he would have expected. He just chalked that up to his hazy mind; he wasn't thinking straight. He could think of nothing else to do at the moment other than place the paper aside and lean his head back. He just needed a nap, maybe for a couple hours, then he'd be able to think about this properly. But, what was there to think about, it was obvious, he had to get a job or something.

He was too drained to care right now. Allowing himself to sink into the softness of the cushions, he slowly began to drift off, he welcomed it though, welcomed the much needed rest. However, just as he was almost claimed by the darkness, his phone buzzed in his pocket, causing him to jolt back to full wakefulness. Nearly dropping the device in his haste, he firmly grasped with both hands and glanced at the name. "Noct?" he muttered, slightly baffled as to why he was calling. Then it clicked, and he didn't think he could ever answer a phone so fast.

"H-Hey," he stammered, sitting up and trying to get his voice as clear as possible. "Huh? Nah, I'm good...just woke up," he muttered. "Yeah, no, I didn't forget. Sorry, didn't mean to keep ya waiting," he chuckled, leaning forward. "Look, just give me...five...ten minutes, and I'll be on my way," he promised, humming along until he finally uttered a small 'bye' and hung up. Once all was silent again, he placed his phone next to him and ran a hand through slightly dampened hair. He had completely forgotten that him and Noct had planned on hanging out today; it completely slipped his mind.

Though, on the bright side, or at least he hoped, it might distract him from all this. Even if it wasn't for long, it would help to some degree. Even with the promise of that, his body still needed some convincing before it finally moved...albeit sluggishly. 'Can't keep 'em waiting any longer,' he thought to himself, using that as his motivation. He dragged his feet to hit the bathroom and did what little he could to make himself more presentable. Not that it helped a lot, but it was better than looking as scraggly as he did.

Deeming it good enough, he sauntered back to the door, trying to mentally prepare himself the day, knowing that he was going to be completely drained by the end of it. While he stood there, his gaze darted back to the letter. Biting the inside of his cheek, he took a deep breath and pushed himself to just leave already, not wanting to be in there anymore. The longer he stayed there, the more he'd dwell on it, and the more it was going to drag him down. With the throb he had in the back of his head, it was the last thing he needed right now.

The journey towards town was nothing but grueling and tiring, and by the time he was at the edge of it, he was nearly out of breath and was forced to take a short break on one of the nearby benches. Now, he was regretting not just telling the raven that he was sick and would have much rather stayed home. But, at the same time, he knew that staying there wouldn't have helped any either. Taking a deep breath, which instantly resulted in a few coughs, the blond leaned forward to place his head in his hands as he tried to will the increasing throbs away. Of course, they didn't listen, but he figured it was worth a try.

"Prom, there you are." His head jerked up at the sound of his name, and he was almost taken aback by the sight of the raven standing before him. He hadn't even heard him come over.

Realizing he was staring, Prompto shook his head slightly and jumped to his feet, ignoring the slight dizziness that came with it. If the other noticed the minor hesitation, he didn't comment on it. "Hey," he greeted, "Sorry it took so long, I kinda had a few things to do," he rasped, internally cringing at the sound of his own voice.

"You sure you're alright?" Noctis asked, narrowing his eyes now that he had a good look at the blond. "You sound a little…" he waved his hand about, assuming that was enough to convey his thoughts.

Prompto merely shrugged it off. "Yeah, I'm fine. I told you, I just woke up not too long ago. And, I'm still not totally awake," he admitted with a crooked smile, one that didn't quite reach his eyes. Catching the concerned look on the other's face, he waved both hands in front of him sheepishly. "Really, I'm fine, stop looking at me like that," he muttered nervously, looking away to avoid eye contact.

"If you say so," the prince mumbled, clearly not buying it for a single second. By now, he was sure he could tell when something was up, but if Prompto didn't want to talk about it, then he wasn't going to push him to do so. "Anyway, what do you say to getting to it then?" he questioned, cocking his head to the side towards the small outlets. It was nothing fancy, but they hadn't planned on really doing anything either. Most of the time they just walked around, talked and joked and went their own ways.

And for a while, that's exactly what they did, walked around, stopped at the occasional shop just to look inside or peer around. During those few minutes, it was pretty nice, it was almost as if everything was normal. Until Noctis asked, "Hey, you hungry, I was thinking we could stop by somewhere."

At that, the blond stiffened up and was quick to reply. "Nah, I'm good. You can get something if you want though," he assured, giving the other that same smile as before. Feeling unnaturally exposed under the raven's skeptical gaze, Prompto went ahead to skip a few feet in front of him, trying his damnedest to seem like his usual spunky self. However, the sudden movement was something his body was not prepared for, and everything spun swiftly and unexpectedly. This was it, he was sure he was about to pass out in front of Noctis...in front of so many people. It was weird, in the middle of all this, that's what he worried about the most.

He knew it was coming, and he anticipated the moment he would hit the ground. But, it never came. There was, however, a strong hold around his torso, and through his blurred vision, he could make out Noctis, his mouth moving but the words weren't making any sense. Blinking heavily a few times, slowly, the image cleared up.

"Prom, hey, you hear me?" Noctis asked, using his free hand to give a few light taps to the side of the blond's face. With that minor contact, he could feel the burning radiance coming off his features. "Prompto, you're sick aren't you?" he accused more than asked. Letting out a sharp breath, he pulled the other's arm up and over his shoulders in order to get a better hold on him and slowly began to lead him to the nearest bench where he helped him down and took the seat next to him. "You good? And, I want the truth, none of that 'I'm fine' bullshit," he practically demanded. He couldn't help it, his worry was spiking by now; his friend just almost fainted in the middle of town, he had the right to concerned.

The other took a deep breath, which elicited another few coughs, harsh ones at that. "I-It's just a cold," he said shakily, leaning back to gather his wits. "I think I moved to fast, I should be alright now though," he added, meaning to get back up, but an arm blocked him from doing so.

"Wait, I really don't think walking around is the best idea," Noct said, digging in his pocket to grab his phone.

"What are you doing?"

"Calling Ignis to come get us," he replied, casually, paying no mind to the mortified expression the blond acquired. "If you weren't feeling well, you could have just said so. You didn't have to come out, I wouldn't have been upset," he explained as the phone rang. Before Prompto had the chance to defend himself, Noctis was already talking, explaining the situation to his adviser. Prompto wasn't even hearing the man's replies, and somehow it was incredibly embarrassing. Probably worse than his card declining. At least he didn't know that man and rarely saw him.

While they carried on with their conversation, he sank farther and farther down, trying to hide as much as he could, and he didn't care how childish that may have made him appear. This was just what he needed, others prodding in his business; Noct was right, he really should have stayed home, then he could have avoided all of this. Which was worse than sulking all by himself as far as he could tell.

"Alright, he's on his way. It should just be a few minutes," he explained. "You need anything, water or something?" Stubbornly, the blond shook his head and mumbled something under his breath. But, the bleary and distant look in his gaze caused for some distrust. "Well, I'm getting you some anyway," he added, glancing to the light sheen on his forehead. "I'll be right back, so don't go anywhere."

Rolling his eyes, he replied with a small, "Don't worry, I'll be...right here."

Noctis completed the task as quickly as he could, paying for the single bottle and getting back to the bench in less than a minute. "Here," he offered, handing it over, which was taken despite the other's obvious stubbornness. "He should be here any second now," he informed. This wasn't that far from his place, so it shouldn't take too long. "Anything you want to talk about before he gets here though?" he asked, knowing whatever was bothering him, he probably wouldn't want to talk about it in front of the brunet.

"I told you, it's nothing. Just feel like crap," he answered, knowing he wasn't fooling the prince. He knew he'd have to tell him eventually though. It was something he couldn't hide forever. Taking a deep breath, he looked to the raven, preparing himself, only to get caught off by the calling of the prince's name.

"That was faster than I thought," Noctis muttered, slightly disappointed seeing as Prompto was on the verge of opening up to him. Cutting his eyes over, he was caught off guard to see his shield accompanying him. He never mentioned Gladio coming along.

The both of them offered a small wave as they sauntered over. "Is everything alright?" Ignis asked, cutting right to the chase, his gaze immediately landing on the blond. Silently, he clicked his tongue a the disheveled appearance. Without receiving an answer, he strolled over to stand before him. "Hmm," he hummed to himself, "Noct was right, you don't look too well. Have you taken anything?" he asked.

Reluctantly, Prompto shook his head, "N-No," he shyly replied, dropping his gaze. "I couldn't...afford anything," he muttered, chest clenching the moment the words were out of his mouth. It shouldn't have been as humiliating as he was making it, but it was. "I tried to buy some medicine earlier, but I was declined," he explained, letting out a heavy breath and a couple coughs. "Turns out...I need to start making my own money," he shrugged. "Just wish it could have waited after another week," he joked, the humor falling short as a throb pushed through his skull.

Ignis stood there and took it all in, as did Gladio. And, the three of them, Noctis included, shared a quick glance, all of them sharing the same idea. "You know, if it's not too much trouble, and if you're willing, I'm sure Noctis wouldn't mind staying over for a few days, or at least until your cold blows over," the adviser offered. "He'd miss some of his training, but I'm quite sure he's not going to complain about that."

"Hey, I've been doing good; I think I deserve a break," the raven mumbled bitterly. "Been going at it nonstop for a month now, don't you think that's enough?"

"And somehow you're still scrawny," Gladio scoffed. "But, I guess a few days won't hurt. It will just mean he'll have to make up for lost time," he said smugly, stepping over to nudge the prince in the arm.

"Yeah, yeah," Noctis replied, shoving the brute away. "So, what do you say?" he asked, bringing his attention back to Prompto.

For a moment, he wasn't sure what to say. He despised the idea of someone having to help take care of him, and he honestly felt as though he didn't need it. And, not to mention that must have been such a burden considering the duties and responsibilities that were already placed on the raven's shoulders. He didn't want to add to that. But, he had a feeling that it was already decided upon. "Do I actually have a choice?" he rasped. Almost at once a chorus of 'nos' and 'not reallys' filled his ears, and he couldn't stop the corner of his mouth from tugging at the sound of it. "You know you don't have to."

"I know, but that doesn't matter. You think I'm just going to sit by and watch and do nothing while you struggle. What kind of friend would that make me?" he asked rhetorically.

"A pretty shitty one," the shield replied with a smile of his own.

Ignis merely hummed in agreement. "Well, if we're all on the same page, then we best get going. From the looks of it it's best we get you back home so you can get in bed," he nodded. "Can you walk alright?" he asked, not forgetting the part about him almost passing out.

"Yeah, I should be fine," the blond answered, slowly getting to his feet to test the waters. Once he was sure he was stable, he gave them a more confident nod. "Alright, good to go," he assured, taking the first couple of steps, making double sure he had it. "I know what you're gonna say," he started, looking over to Noctis, "but are you sure you really don't mind?"

"Shut up and walk," he replied, which was answer enough. But, he added more anyway. "Yeah, I'm sure. It's bad enough you're living alone, alright. So, just stop complaining and accept the help." Prompto just smiled at that and continued walking. He didn't know why it was so hard for him to just ask for assistance when he needed it, he knew all three of them were more than willing to lend a hand. Everything would be alright, as long as he had them. He didn't know what he was so worried about.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ~AND I BELIEVE IT IS TIME TO CLOSE REQUESTS~
> 
> (I apologize, but they're starting to really add up now. xD)
> 
> And, I'm sorry and hate to do this, but from now on, I will message people before I do your story, and if I don't get a reply, it will be skipped until I hear from you again. Only reason I feel the need to do this is because multiple times, I have written a request, and the person would never show up again. And, honestly, these take time, and if the person that asked doesn't stick around, then I don't want to take the time to do it.
> 
> Queue as of now:
> 
> 48- knowledge-or-death  
49 - ImmortalMarshal  
50 - mabver321  
51 - smarterthanthoust  
52 - Shiary  
53 - Defiant Drift  
54 - Prompto-cam  
55 - xYukiNoYume  
56 - __C'estletemps_  
57 - Mirajane92  
58 - Brooke3131  
59 - Free_Bird  
60 - MasterThiefWolf
> 
> ~IF YOU REQUESTED AND YOUR NAME IS NOT ON THIS LIST, PLEASE LET ME KNOW, I SOMETIMES LOSE TRACK~


	48. Choice Words

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> During an excursion, Prompto has a bit of a run-in with enemy. And, though the injurt is minimal, there's something else effecting his mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta read by: Sinikka_von_Wolperting
> 
> My Tumblr for any questions or concerns.
> 
> Request for: knowledge-or-death
> 
> And sorry these are taking so long. ;w; I've been slacking so much lately, and I feel bad about it.

"I hate this," the blond declared, trudging along with a grimace on his features. "I hate it, I hate it, I despise it with a deep and burning passion," he ranted on, flinching as another 'buzz' got too close for comfort. Why did they even have to be here? As far as he was concerned there were so many other places that could use their attention more than an insect-infested hell. "Can't we just go back and say we didn't find anything?" he asked, tossing a pleading look over to the adviser, who was adamant on blocking the complaint out...to little avail.

The brunet sighed in irritation. "No, Prompto, we can't do that. Try having a little bit of morals, would you?" The man never slowed down, never showed an inkling of a sign of giving in to the gunner's distressed ramblings. "We've come this far, we may as well see it the rest of the way through," he added, in the hopes of stifling the whines.

"You're not afraid of a little puny bugs are you?" Gladio teased from the back, his tone playfully patronizing.

Prompto immediately scoffed at that and rolled his eyes, not that it was seen by anyone. "Pfft, no," he muttered. "Why would I be afraid of something that could crawl into your ear and burrow into your brain for a nice mushy snack?" he asked in response. "Of course I'm not afraid of that because that would be ridiculous...not like there's venomous ones or anything too." He ranted on, his words soon lost themselves in the amused chuckling of the shield. Sometimes, it was seriously too easy to get the kid riled up.

"How far does this damn place go?" Noctis asked, cutting himself into the conversation, mostly in an attempt to change the subject. As entertaining as it was, a part of him couldn't help but to agree with the blond. The sooner this was over with, the better. They had only been there for just over an hour, and he was already starting to get the heebie jeebies from all the crawlers everywhere. And, he wasn't sure, but he had the feeling there were at least a few that had hitched a ride on him.

Ignis slowed down just a tad as he thought about it. "It shouldn't be that far," he informed, going over the details in his head. "I fact, it's actually taking a little bit longer than I first expected," he admitted, tone slightly bewildered. "But, this place cannot go on forever, so do try to be a little more patient, if the two of you are capable of such a thing," he muttered under his breath as he readjusted his glasses.

He didn't miss the machine groans that followed after his reply; clearly his statements weren't enough to appease the two of them. There were a few more things mumbled to themselves, but other than that, there wasn't much to be said as they dragged their feet along. However, eventually they finally made it through the thickest of the foliage and they could finally walk next to one another as opposed to in a straight line. That alone was enough to put the lot a bit more at ease, no longer was the close quarters adding to their discomfort.

A quick glance upward, and the adviser narrowed his eyes and hummed to himself. With the dense forestry, it was rather difficult to gauge how much daylight there was, but it was definitely getting dark. Traveling at night was already dangerous enough, but add the low visibility on top of that was only going to make it worse for them. They needed to find a haven before then, getting caught in the dark was the last thing the man wanted to do.

As if reading his mind, the shield spoke up from behind. "I think it's about time to call it a day," he mumbled, taking a quick look around. It wasn't even that late yet, but due to the dense coverage, it appeared to be a few hours later than it actually was; new sounds began to sing out to welcome the change of day.

"I was thinking the same," the brunet agreed as they slowly approached the next turn.

"Oh thank you," Prompto sighed in relief, "I don't know how much longer I can keep this up; my legs are killing me, and I've been bitten a hundred times too many." The promise of a break and safety from the local wildlife was enough to light a fire under his waning enthusiasm, and he eagerly picked up his own pace.

Gladio rolled his eyes as the younger man strolled by him. "Well, nice to see where your priorities are." But, he'd be lying if he were to say he weren't more than willing to call it quits as well. Even his love and respect for the outdoors wasn't enough to make this any more enjoyable for him than it was the others. Luckily, there wasn't a whole lot of more walking before the subtle and warm glow of some runes enticed the bunch over; the blue-tinted markings lulled the four of them closer until they were finally standing upon the stone surface.

"Well, not quite a five-star hotel, but I guess it's better than nothing. Better than walking through that mess, anyway," Noctis muttered, hands on his hips as he glanced around. Even though a good bit for the site was plagued with vines, it was still a satisfying sight. But, his moment of relief was smothered out as he remembered the fact that they still had to set up the actual camp.

Groaning to himself, and shooting out a few more complaints, they eventually got things together, and before they knew it, Ignis had dinner preparing. As the savory aroma filled and replaced the musty and earthy scents, at least for a few minutes, they were able to forget where exactly they were. They all relaxed in their chairs, surrounding the fire as they soaked in the warmth and tried their best to find peace while they could; they all knew that this moment, like always, wouldn't last that long. And, before they would know it, it would be morning again, which would force them to move on once more.

But, for now at least, they'd try and enjoy things. Once dinner was ready, and after they all had their fill, one by one they filtered into the tent, all except for the gunner, who wanted to take a moment to himself. He commented on how this place actually wasn't that bad at night; then again, in the dark, it was difficult to see all the things that originally disturbed him. Taking a deep breath, Prompto leaned back in his seat and crossed his legs to gaze upwards. It was so quiet now, other than the subtle chirps and calls of the insects that sprung to life.

Just as the blond was starting to relax, to soak in the peaceful environment, a rustle, close and low caught his attention. His eyes scanned the area before resting on the spot he thought it to come from. "W-Who's there?" he asked nervously, voice barely above a whisper as the crackling of the fire almost drowned it out. His gaze darted around and he swallowed instinctively. Slowly, the gunner rose to his feet, his curiosity getting the better of him and pulling him towards the source. For a split second, his focus drifted to the others, and he debated getting them; they just went to bed after all, surely they wouldn't be asleep yet. But, at the same time, he would have felt ridiculous getting them for nothing.

Shaking his head, he carried on with his task. His eyes snapped back to the spot as more of the leaves shook and trembled with the life dwelling within them. One step at a time, he approached, his breaths leaving him in shallow and small exhales.

Within a few more seconds, he was standing a foot from the foliage, his hand unconsciously reached for the closest branch; his body was acting on its own by this point, and before he could think things through, he was pushing the obstacle aside. The moment it was out of the way, all he had time to see was a flash of eyes, just that hint of threatening green before he was pounced on and pinned to the ground. A split second later, at the same time he felt that familiar and reassuring weight in his hand, he also felt a pain in his side followed immediately by a cry that ripped from his own throat.

That was it, it wasn't even a few seconds before there was another flash, this one blue and gone in an instant. He didn't need to look to know exactly what it was, there was just no mistaking something like that. "N-Noct," he grit out between sharp breaths, his hands on his side right after he released his weapon. Already, things were getting hazy...surely he hadn't lost that much blood, there was no way it was affecting him this much so quickly.

Prompto blinked heavily a few times and looked to the others, both of them wore the same expression...anger. "Guys?" he muttered, voice shaking.

"What the hell were you thinking?" he heard Gladio ask, accusation dripping from his tone. "We can't leave you alone for five minutes without you getting into trouble, can we?" he growled.

Next to him, Ignis shared the same complaints. "I knew from the beginning that bringing the likes of you along was a mistake. Honestly, if it weren't for His Majesty's word, you wouldn't even be here," he adviser went on.

"W-What are you guys saying?" he stammered, their voices slowly growing lower and more toxic with each syllable spoken. "You guys...you don't...you don't really mean that, do you?" he asked, feeling smaller than ever as the two of them towered over him.

* * *

Gladio and Ignis exchanged a concerned glance as the blond mumbled to himself, his eyes widened as he looked from one of them to the other; and, there was something in his eyes, something that screamed fear and panic. Before the brunet could ask any questions, he quickly instructed Gladio, "Get Prompto back to camp, I'll help Noct."

"On it," the shield nodded, bending over and scooping the gunner up a moment later. "Come on," he uttered, "let's get you back and taken care of." His eyes flickered down to the wound, and it really didn't look that bad; it wasn't that deep. And yet, the man in his arms was already in such a disoriented state. His gaze narrowed as concern filled his mind. Luckily, he wasn't that far from the haven and he gently placed the blond down, leaving him for only a moment to grab a potion. "Alright, this might sting for a second," Gladio explained before pouring the contents over the injury, cringing as the other wonced and whimpered as the would sizzled with the contact. But, a few seconds later, the wound was closed off and the gunslinger took in labored and uneven breaths.

"M'sorry," he breathed out, the apology almost a sob. His gaze was staring passed the the brute at nothing as he rambled on. "M'so sorry...I didn't mean…" he trailed off to take as deep a breath as he could releasing it between clenched teeth.

Gladio was taken aback by his words, what the hell was he talking about. "Sorry?" he questioned. "About what?" he asked, completely bewildered by the other's behavior. "You have nothing to apologize fo-"

"I-I shouldn't have come," he replied, tone trembling with clear and obvious, "Ignis...Ignis is right."

"Kid, you're not making any sense," Gladio replied, shaking his head. "No one said anything like that." He went to rest his hand on the blond's shoulder, but as soon as his touch hovered, the other flinched away and his brows knit together in timidness.

Prompto then backed away about a foot and tried to push himself up, but whatever it was taking hold of him didn't allow that to happen. "P-Please, stop yelling at me," he cried, drawing his knees up to wrap his arms around them. He buried his face to hide against his knees, his shoulders shook slightly, and Gladio honestly couldn't tell if he was crying or not, but whatever it was, he clearly wasn't in the right state of mind.

Before the brute could respond to that, two sets of footsteps approached from behind. "Everything alright over here?" Noctis asked, stopping abruptly when he noticed the position the blond was in, and his dark gaze flickered instantly to Gladio. "What'd you do?" he asked in accusation before jogging over to crouch next to the gunslinger.

"I didn't do a damn thing," he huffed in offense. "Something's wrong with him," he added, as if that much wasn't already obvious enough. "It's like he's not hearing anything I'm saying," he explained, concern in his tone. He then looked to the adviser, the only one he expected to know anything about this sort of thing.

Taking the cue, said man joined the prince next to the blond, hearing the muttered apologies as soon as he was a foot away. "Prompto?" he called out, positioning himself in front of the blond. "Prompto, what's going on?" he asked, silently pleading for a reply. But, he got nothing; Gladio was right, it was going in one ear and out the other. He, too, reached out to place a firm hand on his shoulder, this time the recipient jerked his head up to stare back into those intense jade orbs.

"Ignis?" he forced out, his blue gaze wavering under the other's watch. "Do...you really mean it?" he asked, eliciting a confused expression from the brunet. But, all he saw was rage, rage and frustration. "What...what did I do wrong?" he asked, genuine agony in his words...he honestly believed he did something wrong, he actually believed they were all angry with him. And, by the way he was reacting, there was no talking him through this. His lips tightened and he took a deep and worried breath.

The brunet shot his attention to the shield, "Gladio, fetch me some of the salts, will you?" he asked, realizing what the issue was. He turned back to Prompto now and pulled his hand away, seeing it was making him uncomfortable. "He's confused…" he informed. "My guess was it was due to that attack from that mandrake," he sighed, taking his right hand to rub the back of his neck.

"So, he'll be fine?" the raven asked, still a bit skeptical. He'd never seen Prompto like this before, so it was an understatement to say he was a bit iffy about the whole thing.

Ignis didn't answer right away. "He will be," he said, keeping it simple. "He'll be fine, but, it may take a bit of effort to talk him down," he muttered, still watching the fear in the gunner's eyes. He turned around as the larger man approached, his hand extended with the requested vial in hand. "Thanks," he nodded, slowly offering it to the blond. "Prompto...I need to to take this, alright?" he suggested, knowing full well none of it was even getting through anyway.

Said man eyed the small container for some time, a questioning look on his features. He was hesitant, and after all the stuff he was told, how could he be sure this was a good idea. For all he knew, they could be trying to poison him, trying to get rid of him. Those were the thoughts that filtered through his mind, and somehow, they all felt so wrong, none of the settled right with him. No, that wasn't possible; they had been through so much, so why would they just now be this hard on him; why would they wait until now to tell him how they felt? It just didn't add up, yet, he heard them say it all.

Keeping a close eye on the strategist, he accepted the offered vial, but paused once the lip of it was against his own. Closing his eyes, he prayed that this wasn't a mistake, prayed that he wasn't making a huge mistake by doing this, but he wanted to believe them with everything he had. And, he tipped it back, allowing the warm and tingling liquid to slide down his throat.

It tasted foul and he shuddered at the bitterness, but slowly, the haziness, the warped surroundings, all of them ebbed away, leaving him with a pounding headache and the fuzzy memories of the things that were spouted at him in those short few minutes.

"How are you feeling?" Ignis asked, beckoning the gunslinger's attention on him. "Is everything alright now?" Prompto continued to stare, surprised by the sudden change in the other's words and tones. Just moments ago… "Prompto?" he called out again, this time getting those bleary and hazy eyes to snap to him.

"Y-Yeah," he stuttered, "...fine." He swallowed thickly, the throbbing in his head not helping with the nausea one bit. He looked from one to the other, still expecting one of them to revert back to their hostile ways, but they never did; they all shared the same mask of worry. "Did you guys...mean it?" he asked, dropping his gaze down in shame and humiliation. Why was he so embarrassed? He didn't do anything to warrant that feeling.

"Mean what?" Noctis asked, folding his arms as he rose back to his feet.

"All those things," Prompto whispered, never looking to any of the others. "T-That it was a mistake to bring me along...that it…" he trailed off to compose himself the best he could, "that it was a mistake for me to be here?"

The prince shook his head in shock and confusion. "What!?" he exclaimed, rather loudly. "Prompto, none of us said any of those things, none of what you think happened, actually happened," he assured.

Now, it was the adviser's turn to speak up. "Look, Noct is right, none of that was real. That...thing, it was venomous, it was messing with your head," he explained. "As he said, none of it happened, and none of us feel that way. Trust me when I say, if we didn't see you as worthy of being here, then you wouldn't be here," he promised. "Do you honestly believe His Highness was the only one that had a say in you joining us on this journey?" he asked, grinning in amusement.

That seemed to calm the younger man's nerves a bit more. "Really?" he asked, voice cracking just enough to be noticed.

"Of course," the raven piped up, not missing a second before replying. "You think we'd just let anyone come along?" he shrugged. "Stop being so hard on yourself, alright? Now, get that look off your face and stop worrying."

"Yeah," the blond breathed out, offering them a small smile. Deep down, he knew that was all true, that they weren't lying. Still actually hearing them say all those things, their tones, even if it wasn't really them, they meant it. And, real or not, it still pained him. "Yeah, you're right," he sighed, taking a deep breath before slowly and stiffly getting to his feet. "I-I think I'm going to bed now," he muttered, giving each of them a small nod and a quiet 'good night'.

The others simply watched as the youngest sauntered away, his steps hesitant as he walked with care. As worried as they still were, no one had the heart to stop him, knowing how exhausted the man had to be. "We should just let him rest," Ignis sighed, walking over to his seat to lower himself in it. Soon enough the others were there as well, taking their own spots. It was late, and they all needed to get some sleep, but for now, they were sure Prompto would rather be alone after that, and they were willing to give him the time he needed to think all this over.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ~AND I BELIEVE IT IS TIME TO CLOSE REQUESTS~
> 
> (I apologize, but they're starting to really add up now. xD)
> 
> And, I'm sorry and hate to do this, but from now on, I will message people before I do your story, and if I don't get a reply, it will be skipped until I hear from you again. Only reason I feel the need to do this is because multiple times, I have written a request, and the person would never show up again. And, honestly, these take time, and if the person that asked doesn't stick around, then I don't want to take the time to do it.
> 
> Queue as of now:
> 
> 49 - ImmortalMarshal  
50 - mabver321  
51 - smarterthanthoust  
52 - Shiary  
53 - Defiant Drift  
54 - Prompto-cam  
55 - xYukiNoYume  
56 - __C'estletemps_  
57 - Mirajane92  
58 - Brooke3131  
59 - Free_Bird  
60 - MasterThiefWolf
> 
> ~IF YOU REQUESTED AND YOUR NAME IS NOT ON THIS LIST, PLEASE LET ME KNOW, I SOMETIMES LOSE TRACK~


	49. Leaving the Past Behind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Noctis finally gets fed up with the two oldest members making all the decisions. After all, he is the king, isn't he?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta read by: Sinikka_von_Wolperting
> 
> My Tumblr for any questions or concerns
> 
> Request for: ImmortalMarshal
> 
> And, I actually do have the next one started...yay, progress finally. XD

Noctis slowly released his held breath as he stared out the window, his fingers thrumming against the window sill as the bickering of the other three filtered through his skull. The more they went on, the faster his fingers thrummed in annoyance and the more his mind buzzed in built up irritation. It’s been two days now, 48 hours of this incessant disagreements that he tried desperately to ignore. And, it was all the same stuff over and over, where to go next, what should take priority. It was mostly the oldest to debating their options, both of them rarely asking what he thought of the matter. Which, to be honest, he was pretty thankful for, it was something he would have rather stayed out of if he could help it.

However, it was slightly insulting that they barely considered his opinions when it was his decision to make in the end. “We need to go back to the capital,” Ignis insisted, taking only the raven’s emotions into consideration, knowing there was no way His Highness would be able to proceed with a level head if he were dwelling on the outcome of such a tragedy.

“And do what? Stand by and watch as things fall apart?” Gladio shot back. “You and I both know there’s nothing else to do there, the only option left is to move forward. Noctis is the king now and he has more important responsibilities to take care of,” he needless reminded. The word ‘king’ rang in the young man’s head and left a foul taste on the back of his tongue. He cleared his throat in an attempt to clear the bitterness away.

In the passenger seat, Prompto glanced between the two of them, in the same boat as Noctis: wanting the bickering to cease, but not having the courage nor care to cut in. Instead, he sat there in tense silence, his hands clenched over his legs as he, too, stared out the window at the blurring landscape.

“There will be time for that, it is merely a slight detour and it’s not that far out of the way,” the brunet replied, his grip on the steering wheel tightened and the leather squealed under the stress.

“You saw how quickly all this happened, didn’t you? If you really believe we have time to play around, then we’re in more trouble than I thought,” the brute scoffed, folding his arms over his chest in his moment of stubbornness. “All I’m saying is, this isn’t a game, Iggy, and with his new status, he needs to grow up a lot faster now. There is no leeway for dilly-dallying and going back home when there’s not a damn thing that can be done anymore. It’s gone, alright, and nothing will change that.”

For a few seconds, the others fell silent until the blond uttered a soft, “Gladio…”

“It’s true though,” Noctis cut in, his voice dripping with soured venom. “There’s nothing we can do, so we may as well just forget about that place and move on.” As he spoke, he glared at his shield, meeting the intense ambers and staring into them as every words was punctuated with remorse and rage.

“Noct…” the gunner mumbled, his own wavering pools of ocean seeking the raven’s gaze out. He opened and closed his mouth a few times, but nothing came out, he was at a loss for words, there was nothing he could say to fix this situation. And, for once, he couldn’t think of any light-hearted remarks to clear the air with. Lowering his attention, he pulled himself back around to lean back in his seat and dropped his eyes to his hands crossed in his lap.

After that, the only sounds that filled the Regalia were the steady taps of the drops striking the roof of the vehicle, accentuating the uncomfortable stillness that settled between the four of them. It was damn near suffocating, and it was as if all of them avoided so much as glancing at one another.

“I think it’s best to stay at a hotel for tonight,” the adviser suggested, the comment being more so out of habit than anything. “That is, if no one has any objections to that,” he added under his breath, the man having an uncharacteristic moment of spite as he glanced in the rearview mirror at the larger man. All he got in response was an incoherent mumble as the man shuffled in his seat and turned his attention even farther away. “Alright, it’s settled then,” he announced, taking the next turn, knowing there was a place only a few minutes away now.

The rest of the drive was carried out in complete and utter silence, the atmosphere having time to marinate in their rancid moods. And by the time they pulled into the lot, none of them made the first move to get out, it was like the air itself was holding them in place. None of them wanted to interrupt the peaceful facade that fell over them.

But, soon, the tightness of the situation became too much and eventually Noctis finally pushed his door open. Almost instantly, the pouring rain soaked him through. Yet, somehow, to him at least, it was ideal when compared to spending another second in that car.

“I’ll go pay for a room,” Ignis announced and was the next to climb out, leaving the gunner and shield to themselves now. Bot of which were a bit more hesitant about getting out.

Unable to tolerate it any longer, Prompto finally spoke up, his voice low and his tone timid. “Don’t you think you’re being a little hard on him…?” he asked, refusing to look up from his lap. “I mean, he’s upset...he just lost everything,” he mumbled, saying it aloud like that stinging more than he would have liked.

“So did the rest of us, we’re all in the same situation,” the shield said with bite, swinging his own door open. “What I said still stands, and I meant all of it. We need to move on, staying in the past is only going to distract us and slow us down. He’s the only one refusing to fuel his grief into anger and push forward.” He didn’t say another word or give the blond time to reply before slamming his own door shut and following efter the others. Taking a shaky breath, Prompto was close behind him. Despite the discomfort of the disagreements, being alone was definitely something he didn’t want at the moment either.

As usual, the room was plain and dreary, not at all helping to life their moods, and of anything, it only served to drag them deeper into the pit of despair. Noctis was already lying in one of the beds, choosing the one closest to the window as he lied there and stared out it, watching as the occasional car would pass by on the road. He tried his best to block the others out as they moved about, and he waited in anticipation, knowing it was only a matter of time before they continued with their needless arguing. This is how it’s been, there would only be brief moments when there was peace, and most of those were when they were asleep.

And, as if on cue, Gladio spoke up. “So, have we decided where we’re going from here? Are we going forward to carry out what needs to be done, or are we going to get sidetracked and lose a couple of days at the least?” he asked, not even trying to hide his intentions anymore.

“Are you really still on about that?” Ignis asked, perching himself one of the nearby chairs as he removed his glasses. It was subtle, but there was definitely exhaustion etched into his worn features. “I’m sure Noctis would appreciate at least a day to mourn, don’t you think?” he muttered, a hand rubbing down his face before he replaced his glasses. “I think we all do.”

Scoffing once more, Glaido sauntered over to the other chair and dropped himself into it. Prompto, on the other hand, slowly and carefully took the other bed. He moved slowly and timidly, afraid that too much commotion would rile them up even more. As ridiculous as that sounded, he didn’t wish to risk it. Again, some time was able to go by without a single word muttered, and soon enough the snores of a certain royal could be heard sounding out. They all took that as a sign to hit the hay as well. Unfortunately, between the four of them, there was little sleep to be had as they sulked in their own minds, the troubled thoughts stealing rest right from under them.

It felt like a only a couple of hours before they awoke one by one, all of them groaning slightly as the sun filtered in and pierced their sensitive eyes. And, as much as they wished to stay and get a few more minutes, Gladio was right with one thing, they couldn’t waste a whole lot of time.

They weren’t even all the way to the Regalia when the conversation picked up where it left off. “So, we’re heading to Lestallum next, right?” Gladio questioned just as Ignis reached the back of the car. The strategist paused and turned on the spot with a heavy sigh. “What’s that look for?” the shield asked, noticing the distant look in the other man’s gaze. “What, so you really are going back to the crown city? Come on, I thought you were smarter than that,” he insulted, shifting his weight to one side.

“I think seeing it will help us all move on, and I believe it’s what Noctis needs most right now,” he said, feeling like they had this same conversation countless times already. Maybe they had, but they clearly needed to have it again since none of it seemed to be getting through to the man. “It won’t take long, and it’s only a slight detour.”

“Slight detour my ass,” Gladio practically growled. “It’s in the opposite direction of where we need to go!” he shouted, flinging his arm to the side during his outburst and elicited a flinch from the others. “He doesn’t need to go there and pout about his loss, about our loss, he needs to be the king he needs to be for his people and move forward. Kings can’t be held back by the past or the what ifs. He need-”

“That’s enough,” Noctis finally cut in, speaking for the first time since the night before. He’d finally had enough of all this, all of them, they were driving him insane, they acted as though he didn’t have a voice of his own, like he was fragile and unable to speak for himself. “It’s been two days...two damn days of you two constantly going back and forth, and I’m sick of it,” he bit out, fists clenched and shaking at his sides. “Both of you, neither of you need to tell me what I _need _to do or what’s best for me. I _know _what I need and what’s best for me. So stop telling me and discussing it as if I’m not even here.”

No one could reply, both Ignis and Gladio had to look away, slight shame coursed through their veins in that moment, but underneath that humiliation was subdued rage for one and held back concern form the other.

“ _I’m _your king, dammit!” he reminded, straightening up and taking a step closer to position himself between the two of them. “I don’t need anyone to speak for me, I speak for myself. I’m not a damn child in need of coddling, and I’m sure as hell not going to have you two deciding everything for me.” By the time he was finished with his short-lived rant, his breaths were coming out in quick pants and his heart was thrumming in his chest as adrenaline pumped through him. It was something that needed to be said and was way overdue as well.

The two men glanced to one another and then back at their king, and still none of them spoke for at least a few more seconds. They had to admit, they had never expected something like that to be said like that. It took them both by surprise but needless to say, there was a small swell of pride as well.

“I’ll decide where we go…” he said once more, making the point clear and letting them know that their destination was no longer a matter up for debate. Swallowing thickly and shoving down the pleas of his heart, he made the difficult choice and gave his answer. “We’ll go to Lestallum,” he said, voice cracking slightly. “We can’t go back there...not yet anyway,” he added, the hurt clear in his tone, but he thoroughly believed he was making the most logical decision between the two. And, as much as he knew he would regret it in the days to come, he knew it will have been the wiser decision in the long run. “And that’s final,” he said with a nod before walking the rest of the way to the Regalia, not hearing a single uttering form the others as he left them behind.

“Very well, You’re Highness,” Ignis muttered after a couple of seconds and followed after the raven to climb into the driver’s seat. The other two were close behind, both taking their own usual spots.

As the pulled out of the lot, Gladio cut his eyes over to the younger man, the corner of his mouth tugged slightly at the way he now held himself. No longer was he pulled into himself soaking in his own self-pity, but now before him sat a respectable king, confident in his own self. It took longer than he wished, but at least he finally reached that point. “About damn time,” he mumbled to himself, turning his attention away as they pulled off onto the main road and headed away from their home and away from the past.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ~AND I BELIEVE IT IS TIME TO CLOSE REQUESTS~
> 
> (I apologize, but they're starting to really add up now. xD)
> 
> And, I'm sorry and hate to do this, but from now on, I will message people before I do your story, and if I don't get a reply, it will be skipped until I hear from you again. Only reason I feel the need to do this is because multiple times, I have written a request, and the person would never show up again. And, honestly, these take time, and if the person that asked doesn't stick around, then I don't want to take the time to do it.
> 
> Queue as of now:
> 
> 50 - mabver321  
51 - smarterthanthoust  
52 - Shiary  
53 - Defiant Drift  
54 - Prompto-cam  
55 - xYukiNoYume  
56 - __C'estletemps_  
57 - Mirajane92  
58 - Brooke3131  
59 - Free_Bird  
60 - MasterThiefWolf
> 
> ~IF YOU REQUESTED AND YOUR NAME IS NOT ON THIS LIST, PLEASE LET ME KNOW, I SOMETIMES LOSE TRACK~


	50. A Refreshing Beverage

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After years of tolerating the effects of his leg energy, Noctis' knee finally gets to the point where he can't just simply ignore it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta read by: Sinikka_von_Wolperting
> 
> My Tumblr for any questions or concerns. I also occasionally post art and fic giveaways.
> 
> Request for: mabver321
> 
> Can't believe this is number 50. Feels unreal. XD

The prince groaned as he was welcomed into the world of wakefulness with stiffness and throbbing pain. Instinctively, his first reaction was reach down and grip his leg where the dull aches were originating from. As he lied there, he was pretty surprised to hear none of the others moving about, and he could only assume that there were still asleep. He had to admit, he was a bit jealous of that, and as he pried his eyes open against their will, he could see why. The light filtering through was pale, showing the early signs of the new day. It couldn’t have been any later than six, definitely too early to be awake.

The raven turned over in his bed, biting his lip as the movement brought an edge of discomfort to his sore leg. But, he ignored the best he could and pulled his cover tighter around himself. If he could just go back to sleep, he knew he’d be able to escape from the consistent throbs. At least, that’s how it worked most of the time. He just had to ride through it and wait for it to subside.

However, this time it appeared as though it desperately wanted to stick around for a little longer than usual, and it was getting harder and harder to ignore as the minutes ticked by. Slowly, the light brightened more and more before he was soon greeted with the movement of the adviser. The man woke with ease, as he usually did, and made a beeline for the kitchen, fully intending to start his morning ritual, starting with the coffee. That was a must, and he lied there waiting for the familiar sound of the machine to comfort him as it always did in these flare-ups. It sounded weird to think about it, but the little things like that served as a distraction for the young prince.

Ignis already knew the young man was awake, but he continued with his routine as per usual, being very aware of the other’s discomfort. This wasn’t the first time this had happened, after all. They all knew about that, and as difficult as it was, none of them commented on it and allowed Noctis to deal with it in his own way, letting him take the time he needed for it to ebb away.

Noctis focused on the churnig of the pot and the bitter aroma that filled the small room, he paid attention to nothing than that and willed it to lull him back to sleep. If he could just get about another hour or so, maybe even less, he was positive he’d wake up in a better condition, or he prayed for that result anyway. And, as expected, it only took a few more minutes of honing in on the activities of the older man before his mind felt more at ease and he sensed the tendrils of slumber teasing the ends of his conscious once more. He yearned for it and he permitted it to whisk him away, begged it to, and it delivered without complaint.

He didn’t know how much time had passed this time, but he could make out the sounds of the others now as they, too, were now awake and bustling about the hotel. Breathing deeply, and cracking an eye open, he peered through and prepared himself to stretch some of the stiffness from his muscles; however, as soon as he moved, the pain was back with a vengeance and he couldn’t prevent the agonized yelp that escaped his throat as his eyes were squeezed back shut. Why the hell did it hurt so bad now? It was out of nowhere. Sure there was a little bit of an ache the day before, but it was nowhere near this bad.

“Noct?” Ignis asked no more than a split second after the noise left him and was by his side a couple more after that. “Everything alright?” The raven managed to get his eyes open just enough to see the concerned expression of his adviser hovering over him.

He took a steady and quivering breath before slowly releasing it in a futile attempt to alleviate the discomfort and deal with it. It took a bit of time, but eventually he was able to give the man a small nod with a tight expression. “Fine,” he whispered out, hating the weakness that shook his voice. “I just...I just need a few minutes,” he assure, unable to convince even himself. As bad as it were, he would be surprised if he’d get up at all.

“Are you sure?” Ignis asked, not sure if he bought it or not. “In any case, I’ll get some tea started, perhaps it will help take some of the edge off,” he offered, getting another slight head movement form the prince, giving the go ahead. “I’ll be back shortly, and just let me know if you need anything,” he said before getting back to his feet to return to the other side of the room. As he made his leave, the other two exchanged a concerned glance with one another and then looked back to Noctis, the discomfort etched into his features pulling some sympathy from the both of them. They had no idea what the young man was going through, nor what it must have felt like, but they did pity him to some degree.

For years, ever since the accident, his leg seemed to bother him, and it clearly wasn’t getting any better as time when on like they had hoped. And what made it worse, is there was nothing they could ever do to make it better during these moments. All they could do was stand by and watch uselessly as the raven struggled with the pain. And, even though he said it was alright and promised them that just being there was enough, that sliver of guilt and helplessness never drifted from their hearts.

Meanwhile, Noctis curled up more on himself, gritting his teeth as the throbs brought he fires of Hell with them. This was honestly the worst it had ever been, and for once in his life, it was almost unbearable and he wanted nothing more than for it to hurry up and be over. And, he was almost able to ignore the worst of it, but as the most intense throbs were shoved to the back of his mind, a weight lowered on the bed next to him and he was beckoned to pry an eye open to see just who it was.

“A-Anything I can do?” Prompto asked timidly, his attention somewhere else as he spoke. He knew there wasn’t much he really could do to help, but he was willing to do or try anything if it meant making the raven more comfortable.

Closing his eye back, Noctis slowly shook his head. “No, it’s fine though,” he assured tightly, one of his hands traveled downward to rest on his thigh. “Thanks, though,” he added, not wanting the blond to think his efforts weren’t appreciated. Because, they were, more than anything right now; however, he already knew there was nothing any of them could do to make a real difference.

“Are you sure?” he questioned, now gazing at the prince’s drawn features, his own scrunched in worry.

Again, the other simply nodded, and this time he didn’t bother vocalizing his certainty, afraid that he’d accidentally release a pained whimper in the process. He continued to lie there, and he waited as the presence finally left his side, but he didn’t miss the sorrowful exhale that accompanied the man leaving him. Of course, there was that little voice in the back of his head that lectured him for brushing the gunner off like that. He just wanted to help, and even if there wasn’t a damn thing he could do, it wouldn’t have hurt to just allow him to do something. Noctis was sure it would have made his day at the very least.

“Wait,” he called out, opening his bleary blues and turning his head just enough to catch sight of Prompto’s retreating back. “On second thought...think you could just talk some?” he asked, the question feeling awkward as it rolled off his tongue. “It doesn’t have to be about anything really, just a distraction...it helps keep my mind off things,” he explained, turning back and pulling the covers over his head. He didn’t want anyone to notice the slight heat from his embarrassment. There was no need for him to feel that way, but he couldn’t help it, he was too self-conscious about little things like that.

Even though his face was hidden, he smiled to himself, despite the aches, when he heard the satisfied hum from his friend and that familiar and welcomed weight was back next to him. For some time, he just listened, there was no need for him to reply to anything, and luckily the blond never expected him to. He just listened and focused on that, letting it take his absorb all his focus and never allowed it to drift back to the consistent throbs in his knee.

He figured it had to be at least half an hour of the blond talking non-stop, just rambling away about nothing and everything at the same time. Eventually, a set of softly-placed steps approached, and he knew there was only one person those could belong to. Of course, the sweet and relaxing aroma that wafted towards him with the sound did help give it away. As Ignis stood before him, Prompto took that as a sign to cease his ramblings and move aside to allow the adviser to sit there instead.

“Noct,” the brunet spoke softly, his voice silently asking for the prince’s attention, which was slowly given to him. The raven gradually peered over the edge of the cover and stared at the older man with a fogged look. “Think you can sit up?” he asked, nodding towards the steaming cup in his hand.

He was hesitant, but eventually a groan sounded out as Noctis began the slow and tedious process of scooting his way back. All the while, he let out small grunts and whines until he was finally propped up against the back of the bed and he took a deep breath to steady himself before he tilted his head slightly to signal that he was situated. Or, as situated as he was going to get considering the circumstances.

Ignis was sure to give him a few more moments before handing the cup over; his hands hovered for a couple more until he was satisfied that it wouldn’t be spilled or dropped. For a minute, Noctis merely gazed down at the beverage and allowed himself to be drifted by the consuming smell before he finally took the first sip. The flavor hit him almost instantly and he couldn’t help the sigh of relief that escaped him. Leave it to the man to transform something like tea into something captivating and magical. He swore he wasn’t human sometimes.

“Try to drink all that, and it should help,” Ignis said, the corner of his mouth tugging at the slight faltering in the raven’s pained expression. “There’s plenty more where that came from, and it should take the edge off. But, I’m afraid it will cause a bit of drowsiness. Which isn’t a concerned seeing as I doubt we’ll be going anywhere today,” he shrugged, speaking casually. These things happened, and the last thing he wanted was for Noctis to feel any kind of guilt for delaying their trip by another day. It wasn’t as if he could help it.

“Thanks,” Noctis whispered, and despite what he was told and what he knew, there was a shine in his eyes that told the others he still felt bad about this whole thing. “Hopefully it’ll be better by tonight though,” he added, taking a few more sips, relishing in the comforts of it while he could.

The brunet bowed slightly and got back to his feet; he watched the prince for a couple more seconds before speaking again. “Shall I run a hot bath for you as well; I’m sure the heat would help alleviate some of the pain as well,” he suggested, seriousness in his tone.

This time, the prince’s humiliation was clear for all to see as he nearly spit his tea back out. “Please...no...thank you,” he blurted out, stumbling over his words. “Really, there’s no need for that...besides, this is working fine,” he promised raising the cup a bit in clarification. He tightened his mouth as the adviser just nodded with a hum and continued towards one of the chairs where he lowered himself.

A quick glance to the others and he wanted to hide back under that covers at the amused looks on their faces. Yup, no way he was going to live that down. Even if it was because of his old injury, there was no way in hell those two would let something like that slide. He finished his drink quickly because of this, and set it aside so he could finally retreat to his comfy and soft getaway, swiftly sinking back below the comforters until he was out of their sight. But, he still heard the shield’s light chuckle.

“Shuddup,” he mumbled, his distraught voice muffled from the layers hiding him.

“Sorry,” Gladio laughed, leaning a bit closer, “what was that? I didn’t quite catch it?” He smiled to himself, knowing exactly what he was doing and enjoying every second of it.

The raven took a deep breath, and the others saw the subtle movement as the curled up more on himself. “I said, shuddup,” he repeated, louder and more irritated than the first time. Under his sanctuary, the dark-haired man folded his arms in front of him and prayed the others would just leave him be. They already did what they could, now he just wanted them to go out or something and leave him alone.

“Come on, we’re just messing with you,” the brute laughed lightly as his heavy hand landed on where he assumed his shoulder to be. “You know it’s nothing to really be so sulky about,” he added, his tone serious now.

After a moment, the prince took a deep breath, and slowly he pushed his way out from under the blanket until he could see all of their faces staring back at him. “I guess the tea really is helping if that’s all it took for him to listen,” Gladio joked with a glance towards the adviser. “You should make that stuff more often if this is the effects it has on him.”

“If I did that, it wouldn’t work as well as it does in times like these,” Ignis replied, sounding a tad exasperated. “Speaking of, Noct, has it helped any?”

Noctis thought about it for a moment, and he even gave his leg an experimental turn, pleased that the aches and throbs that traveled through it were nothing compared to that morning. He still didn’t feel comfortable walking on it just yet, but it was definitely tolerable now. Still, he gave it a couple more seconds before he answered. “Y-Yeah,” he stammered, not realizing until now how much of a difference there was already, “it’s not as bad.” He released another exhale, but this one was relaxed and more at ease than the earlier one.

“That’s nice to hear,” the adviser smiled. “Now, just have another cup or two, and before you know it, you’ll be good as new.” Without even giving the young man the chance to reply, Ignis was already on his feet and strolling over to retrieve the now empty cup from the table and brought it back to refill it. He returned a second later and gently placed it back on the table. “Here it is whenever you’re ready for it,” he muttered, retiring back to his own seat.

The prince looked form the tea to the adviser and blink heavily a couple of times. The man wasn’t lying when he said it would make him tired. One cup and already he was ready for a nap. After three, he would be done for. Maybe this was the adviser’s plan all along. He couldn’t suffer if he was knocked the hell out. It made sense, and he would be lying if he said he didn’t welcome it right about now. Yawning deeply, Noctis reached back for the cup and began downing that one as well. The sooner he got this over with and got back to sleep, the sooner he could wake up refreshed and free of agony. Sounded like a good plan to him anyway.

It was just as refreshing as the first, and even more of his body was drained of its tension as he finished off the last few drops. It almost had a numbing effect, and now he wondered if Ignis hadn’t put some extra ingredients in there...he wouldn’t put it past the guy to resort to such methods. But, it tasted fine, so that was out of the question.

After a minute or too to allow that last drink to work its magic, he could barely keep his eyes open. With that, he leaned back once more, deciding that a third cup of the concoction was unnecessary, the two were already doing wonders and any more and he was afraid there would be no waking up the next morning. As he settled in and made himself comfortable, he closed his eyes slowly and listened to the conversation being carried out among the other three. Normally others talking like that would have annoyed him, got on his nerves and kept him awake. But, right now, it was doing anything but that as it put his mind at ease and his muscles relaxed even more.

It didn’t take long for slumber to whisk him away, and the lack of pain he felt while going under was nothing less that blissful. Even now, he knew that by the time the sun would rise again, he’d be ready to head out without his old injury holding him back. While he drifted in and out, the last thing he heard was a soft ‘goodnight’ in the back of his head, but he had no idea who it could have come from.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ~AND I BELIEVE IT IS TIME TO CLOSE REQUESTS~
> 
> (I apologize, but they're starting to really add up now. xD)
> 
> And, I'm sorry and hate to do this, but from now on, I will message people before I do your story, and if I don't get a reply, it will be skipped until I hear from you again. Only reason I feel the need to do this is because multiple times, I have written a request, and the person would never show up again. And, honestly, these take time, and if the person that asked doesn't stick around, then I don't want to take the time to do it.
> 
> Queue as of now:
> 
> 51 - smarterthanthoust  
52 - Shiary  
53 - Defiant Drift  
54 - Prompto-cam  
55 - xYukiNoYume  
56 - __C'estletemps_  
57 - Mirajane92  
58 - Brooke3131  
59 - Free_Bird  
60 - MasterThiefWolf
> 
> ~IF YOU REQUESTED AND YOUR NAME IS NOT ON THIS LIST, PLEASE LET ME KNOW, I SOMETIMES LOSE TRACK~


	51. Student to Savior

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With daemons populating the world, now more than ever, people have to learn how to fend for themselves in order to survive, and that includes the once timid and fearful Talcott.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta read by: Sinikka_von_Wolperting
> 
> My Tumblr for any questions or concerns. Also do crappy art and the occasional fic giveaway. C:
> 
> Request for: smarterthanthoust

Talcott took a deep breath, trying to slow his panting and quickened heart rate down as he wiped the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand. They had been at it for hours...five to be exact, and still… His hands clenched at his sides in frustration, and his teeth bared in anger. But, he didn't give up, as hopeless as it seemed and felt, he couldn't give up. With the world the way it was now, there was no room left for the weak. If your couldn't hold your own out here, you were better off dead. His exhale shuddered in anticipation as he stared down his opponent, and with little hesitation, he charged at his target again, this time he kept himself low, intending to aim for the legs.

Growling as he flew forward at full speed and strength, his face instantly fell, transitioning from a mask of confidence to a crumbling expression of defeat when he was again grappled mid attack and swung over the man's shoulder just to be slammed back into the ground for what had to have been the tenth time that day. The air fled from his lungs in the form of a pained gasp, as he stayed where he was, unable to get back up right away like all the other times. All he could do was lie there and pant, stay there and simmer in his own failure.

"You're getting better," Gladio grunted as a hand japped down and in front of the younger man's face, offering him some assistance. But, in his moment of disappointment and spite, the brunet slapped the hand away and picked himself off, violently brushing himself off all the while.

A few feet away, Prompto bore a sad smile, but he lowered his gaze once he saw Talcott making his way over, trying to play it off that he wasn't watching that entire time. It would have done nothing but wear the kid's confidence down even more, and he wasn't sure how much more his ego could take. Though, he had to admit, he knew exactly where Talcott was coming from; it wasn't that long ago that he was the same. Hell, he was still like that from time to time. So, he was able to sympathize with the man.

As he approached, the blond finally lifted his gaze once more and offered the other a warm and reassuring smile. "Don't let it get to you...I don't know anyone that can beat Gladdy in a sparring match. You definitely are better against him than I was when I first started training with hi-"

"It doesn't matter," the other cut off before dropping to the ground next to the fire; a small cloud of dust erupted with his sudden descent "I don't exactly have the time you guys had. In case you haven't noticed, there isn't the luxury of taking my time or going at my own pace like you all got to do," he scoffed, not intending to come off as condescending as he did. But he was annoyed, and he had no other way to let it all out.

Prompto grew silent at the remarks and dropped his focus back into the flickering flames as his hands fiddled in his lap. He knew it was true, he had more time to train, had the privilege of learning from what he considered to be the best. Taking a deep inhale of his own, he was getting ready to reply, but the brute beat him to it with bite in his tone. "That's enough of that," Gladio warned, not willing to take that kind of talking from the young man. "That sounds like nothing but excuses to me. Do you think we had 'time' and 'luxury' when Insomnia fell and we were thrown to the wolves without warning?" he asked rhetorically, daring Talcott to have something else to say in response to that.

Of course, he had nothing to say to that. He's heard the stories, at least once from each of them. He remembered when it happened; young and innocent at the time, but he remembered it all too clearly. He remembered his fear, his confusion, all of it, and now it was his turn to drop his gaze. He was acting like a brat, and he knew it, but still, he needed to be better.

"I know you don't like it," the gunner spoke back up, timidly, "but you're not going to be amazing right off the bat. It's only been a couple of weeks, and it took me years to hold my own against even Noc-" he cut himself off before the rest could pass over his lips. "All I'm saying is, you can't be so hard on yourself. Take it from me, it won't do any good," he finished, reaching over to place a comforting hand on the brunet's shoulder and gave it a firm squeeze.

This time, Talcott merely nodded and let out a small hiss. All the aches and soreness now creeping up on him now that his adrenaline was draining from him. Gladio really wasn't kidding when he said he wasn't going to go easy on him. "I think Imma go out for a drive," the young man mumbled, climbing his way back to his feet with a few grunts of discomfort.

"Before dinner?" the brute questioned as he popped the can open.

Talcott wrinkled his nose slightly as the smell reached him. "Y-Yeah," he stuttered, rubbing the back of his neck. "I just need to clear my head a bit. I shouldn't be gone long though," he assured. The brunet fished in his pocket until he heard the familiar jungle of his keys and was relieved they hadn't fallen out during all those scuffles.

At this point the others simply nodded, and without another word, they watched until he reached his truck, and continued to do so even after the lights faded from view. "He'll be alright," Gladio said with a dismissive wave of his hand.

"You sure, he seemed pretty down?" Prompto asked, scooting closer to the fire when a breeze sent a shiver down his spine. "Maybe you are going too hard on him," he offered with a slight shrug.

At that, the shield couldn't help but scoff. "Please, out here there is no such thing as going too hard on someone. I can promise you things would be worse out there for him if I didn't." The blond had nothing to say to that. As much as he hated to accept that hard fact...it was completely true. What this world had become, it really was kill or be killed, and there was no room for mistakes. It was such a cruel reality they had been thrust into.

* * *

Talcott let out a small sigh as he relaxed against the leather seat, his arms and legs throbbed as the tension was released form the tight muscles. All of this, it was beginning to feel hopeless, he was getting nowhere, it was as if he was making no progress with his training. No matter how much he tried, or how many times he challenged the large man, the results were always the same and always ended with him on the ground. His hands tightened around the wheel and his teeth grit. Unconsciously, his feet weighed heavier on the pedal until he was zipping down the road.

There was no telling how fast he was going anymore, and he had no idea where he was heading; all he knew was that he was going and he had no destination in mind. But, after another thirty or so minutes, he took a deep breath. He couldn't be out here too much longer, he did tell them he would be back after all.

Taking a deep breath to calm himself, he forced himself to slow down. At this rate, he was bound to hit something, possibly break down in the middle of nowhere. Now that would have practically been a death sentence. Slowly but surely, his foot eased off the pedal and soon enough he was going at a reasonable speed and he was finally thinking clearly. Blinking a few times, he ran a hand down his face, his exhaustion from the past few days were finally catching up with him.

Just as his hand left his features, he jolted, a figure appeared in the middle of the road, completely catching him off guard and forced him to slam on breaks. "What the he-" he blurted out, heart thrumming against his ribs as he took multiple and shallow inhales. Once he recognized the figure as a human, his nerves settled down a bit, but that still didn't explain what a person was doing way out here. Soon enough, whoever it was seemed to settle down too and began to round the vehicle, coming over to the driver's side. It was difficult for him to see the man through the brightness of the headlights, but soon enough the shaggy appearance could be seen clearly. Talcott hesitated...there was something about this man. Then it hit him, if he looked past that scruff, through those dulled and paled blues.

"Prince Noctis…" he breathed out, the name feeling awkward on his tongue. It's been so long, and he saw that flash behind that dark gaze at the name. It really was him, there was no mistaking it.

Then, the raven, too, paused and looked the other over, then his gaze wandered to the cactuar lining the dash. "...Talcott?" he questioned, his tone reflected the same confusion and wonder. "H-How long has it been?" he asked, afraid of what the other might say.

He was reluctant to reply, he knew it would have been a heavy blow and wasn't sure if it was something that should have been revealed yet. The young man's eyes flicked to the rearview mirror and couldn't help but be very aware of his own features. Then again, there was no way. Last Noctis saw him, he was just a kid, and now...he had to tell him. "It's been ten years," he muttered, looking away from the shock on the prince's face. "The others aren't going to believe this…" he added under his breath as he waved the king to get in and grabbed for his phone with the other hand.

* * *

Gladio couldn't believe what he was hearing, and for a few seconds he just sat there with his phone pressed against his ear in utter disbelief. If it hadn't had been Talcott speaking to him, he probably wouldn't have thought it to be true. His mouth hung open and he looked to Prompto and stuttered a bit before he could bring himself to talk again. "A-Are you sure?" he asked, his question barely audible over his own pulse and racing mind. "Yeah, we can head there now, we're on our way," he assured with a nod.

"What is it, what's going on?" the blond asked, a mix of bewilderment and fear swirling in his wavering blues. "Gladio," he demanded when the larger man looked past him. "What is it?"

"Noc-Noct's back," he said, his voice cracking. It still didn't feel right, it was too good to be real and he kind of wondered if this wasn't just some sick prank someone was pulling. All he knew is, if it were a fucked up joke, it would be the last they would pull. And, he saw the same reaction in the younger man's posture and drawback.

"What?" the gunner replied, unsure if he had heard that right, but he had. Noct, their king and his best friend, he was really back. He swallowed deeply, his mouth feeling unnaturally dry all of a sudden. He couldn't fathom this being real, by why would Talcott or Gladio lie about this? They wouldn't, that's all there was to it...he was back and that was the truth of the matter. "Noct…" he repeated before enthusiastically trailing after the larger man

It was only a matter of time before they were pulling into Hammerhead, though it felt to take hours before they were finally pulling to a stop and they both stepped out of the vehicle. "They should be here soon," Gladio uttered under his breath. His eyes were cast to the side, and not a second later his attention found someone else to focus on, and a smile tugged at his mouth as Ignis himself approached. Soon enough, it would be just like before, all of them would be together once more and, even if it wouldn't' have been for long, the four of them would have been together. He let out a relaxed breath and soaked it all in, tried to enjoy this brief moment for what it was and tried to make the most out of the little time they had because from here on out, there was nothing but a ticking countdown to when it would all be taken away from them again.

* * *

Talcott's near-trembling hands gripped the wheel tighter, forcefully until his knuckles paled and his joints ached. He knew they had to do this, knew there was no other choice; but this felt so wrong, felt as if he were the one taking them all to their doom. Like he was the one sentencing the king to his death. But, it was fate, it was his destiny, and there was no way around this. They were all prepared for this and Noctis had already come to terms with the sacrifice that had to be made.

"We're almost there," he announced, his voice a ghost of it's normal personality. But, no one commented on it, no one even seemed to notice it. They were all in a state of sorrow, already mourning that which was to be lost once this was all over. They all said they were ready for it, that they had come to terms with it the night before, but they all know it wasn't true. Not a single one of them was mentally prepared for the pain that would be thrust upon them in just a few short hours.

Another twenty minutes, and the young brunet slowed to a stop, and for a time, none of them moved; they wanted to stay here for as long as they were able. And, they would have sat there in silence for longer if it weren't for Noctis finally speaking up. "We should get going," he chuckled nervously, yet still made no immediate move to get out. Blowing out heavily through his nose, and knowing he'd have to get out sooner or later, he forced his body to move and the other three followed soon after.

The youngest, however, remained where he was, deciding it was best to do as they instructed and stay out here. He wasn't as well-trained as they were, he would only get in the way if he were to tag along. This was for the best. "Guys," he mumbled, leaning out the window, "be careful in there. And," his attention went to the other three, all but Noct, and his chest tightened at what he was about to say, "I hope to see you all come back."

They all nodded in response, but their eyes, they all shared the same distraught reflection. "Yeah, wait for us," Gladio replied, a mask of confidence hiding his own apprehension and reluctance. "We'll be back."

Talcott nodded and merely watched as they all marched towards the final battle, the final day that would decide the whole future. He wanted nothing more than to go with them and join there, but he knew that was out of the question. He had to stay right where he was and wait there for them. Once they were out of sight, he tried to relax a bit more, but even the thought of doing so was proving to be an impossible feat in and of itself. He tried taking deep breaths and tried to ignore it all, but not a single thing was working. "Dammit," he swore to himself as his left fist slammed against the window sill. And, against his better judgement, he pushed his door open. He would do as he was asked and stay outside the city, but there was no way he was going to just sit there quietly for them; it would drive him crazy after just a few minutes.

As soon as he stepped out, it was as though he could breathe again and he took a deep inhale of the refreshing air. Well, if one could even call it that anymore, everything had this stale scent about it, but it was as fresh as it could be. As soon as he breathed out, something caught his ear...like a cross between a snarl and and growl, whatever it was, it was enough to make the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end as he slowly turned his focus towards the source.

By the time he saw it he almost didn't have enough time to dodge the first swing of the daemon. The young man released a startled yelp as he jumped to the side. "Son of a…" he mumbled, his pulse now racing through his veins and breaths coming out quick and shallow. "You wanna play it like that, huh?" he chuckled as his nerves started to get the better of him. Slowly, he straightened back up and pulled the dagger that he kept strapped to his hip ever since he started his training with the others. He wasn't anywhere near on Ignis' level with the thing, but he was skilled enough to hold his own.

The enemy let out another inhuman shriek before charging at him again, claws at the ready and pointed towards the man with the intent to brutally slaughter. Again, he was able to leap to the side, and just in time at that. And, he was quick to return the gesture, slashing out the moment he had his bearings once again. He wasn't sure if he were just imagining things or not...but this seemed a lot easier than fighting Gladio. But, to be fair, the big guy probably could have already done away with this thing. Still, it was noticeable improvement, even to him.

And, just to make matters worse, out of the corner of his eye he could make out a couple of this things friends as they prowled closer, both of which were just as eager to make minced meat of him. No way in hell he was going to let that happen though, not if he could prevent that anyway. Steadying his breath, he braced himself and gripped his hilt more securely...this was going to be a bit of a challenge.

The young man fought on though, and despite his frequent doubts and worries, he never allowed such thoughts to slow him down or hinder his movements. He couldn't be done in here, not when they were so close to this being the end, not when the others were expecting to see him once they returned. But, he managed to get one of them down and out, and he was so close to finished off the second. He was running out of breath; however, he pressed on. If he learned anything from training with Gladio, it's that the fight wasn't over until you'd given up or were dead. And right now, neither of those had occured.

* * *

It was over...it was all finally over; none of them could believe it, didn't want to. Doing so meant accepting that he was really gone. He was taken from them, and all they could do was continue walking. Together, the walked side by side, their hearts heavy as the last couple of hours weighed heavily on their minds. But, all of their sorrows, for just a moment, were taken away when a glimmer, the new warm rays of light stretched across the sky as a reminded that this was the right thing. It reminded them that this was something that had to be done and everything was alright now. Or, it would be after some time.

All they knew is that they wanted to get out of here as quickly as possible. This place was doing nothing aside from bringing them down. They knew there was nowhere they could go that would take all of their agony away, but it no place would be worse than here. But, as they finally stepped out of the confines of the crown city, there was one sight none of them expected to see, and it was Gladio who first responded to the view.

"Well, I'll be damned," he muttered, obvious pride in his tone. It was like watching your child walk for the first time, or at least that's what he imagined that feeling to be like. He's seen the kid fight before and even witnessed him fend off a daemon here and there. But, now there Talcott stood, at least five large corpses around him as he stared off at the brightening sky, his shoulders rose and fell with his panted breaths.

Slowly, the young brunet turned to face them, blackened blood staining his features. "I knew you'd guys make it back," he beamed, waving his hand that still clutched his painted weapon.

"What the hell happened out here?" Prompto asked, impressed to say the least if not a tad jealous. It was a long time before he was capable of something like this and he couldn't help but be a bit intimidated by how fast the other had learned to fend for himself out here.

"I, uh, had some company," he replied, nudging one of the bodies with his foot and a gunt. "Thought they had me a few times there, and for a momen-" his words were cut off by a sharp gaps when a heavy arm fell around his shoulders and pulled him in close. "W-Whoa," he stuttered, "Gladio, what are you doing?"

"I knew you had it in ya," he said as he used his other hand to ruffle the young man's hair. Then he narrowed his eyes as he looked at the bodies again and where they were. They were trying to get into the city...Talcott had really protected them without even knowing it himself. They would have been able to handle things like that fine, but with all that was going on, it would have proven to be a nuisance. "You did good kid," he added as he released his hold and instead patted him on the back, almost knocking him over.

"Well, you know, I couldn't have done it without you guys," he replied, face tinging with embarrassment at all the praise. It really wasn't all the much, especially compared to what the rest of them had done and gone through. But, he'd take the compliments nonetheless. "So, yeah, thanks for all the help; if it weren't for that, I would have been a goner out here for sure." He nodded once more at them before turning back to the rising morning, the warmth of it putting him at ease for the first time in years. It felt a little late to finally be proud of himself, but it was better than never, he supposed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ~AND I BELIEVE IT IS TIME TO CLOSE REQUESTS~
> 
> (I apologize, but they're starting to really add up now. xD)
> 
> And, I'm sorry and hate to do this, but from now on, I will message people before I do your story, and if I don't get a reply, it will be skipped until I hear from you again. Only reason I feel the need to do this is because multiple times, I have written a request, and the person would never show up again. And, honestly, these take time, and if the person that asked doesn't stick around, then I don't want to take the time to do it.
> 
> Queue as of now:
> 
> 52 - Shiary  
53 - Defiant Drift  
54 - Prompto-cam  
55 - xYukiNoYume  
56 - __C'estletemps_  
57 - Mirajane92  
58 - Brooke3131  
59 - Free_Bird  
60 - MasterThiefWolf
> 
> ~IF YOU REQUESTED AND YOUR NAME IS NOT ON THIS LIST, PLEASE LET ME KNOW, I SOMETIMES LOSE TRACK~


	52. Bodyguard

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Prompto receives a threat from an unknown source, the others take things into their own hands to assure his safety. Some nice Cor bonding. C:

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta read by: Sinikka_von_Wolperting
> 
> My Tumblr for questions and concerns. I also post crappy art and do occasional giveaways.
> 
> Request for: Shiary

Prompto was pulled from his deep slumber from an unwarranted ‘buzz’ from his phone as it danced across the solid surface of the side table. Groaning and complaining quietly under his breath, the blond snatched it up before it could wake the others. But, as he held it in his hand and gazed at the time, his brow wrinkled in confusion. It was only one in the morning, who the hell would be messaging him at that time. Shrugging it off, he checked his inbox, and his bewilderment deepened when he didn’t recognize the number displayed across the screen.

He pressed the palm of his hand against each of his eyes, trying to rub away some of the blurriness that came hand in hand with his grogginess. It took a few seconds for his vision to clear up and adjust to the brightness that assaulted his sensitive eyes, but once it did, his chest clenched as he read over the words that he could make out before opening the message.

_You’re getting rather cozy, aren’t you, Prompto? Seeing as you’ve managed to weasel you-_

His thumb hovered over the ‘open’ option, but he couldn’t quite bring himself to just tap the button. It wasn’t the context that initially bothered him, it was the use of his name. Whoever this was knew him by name. Then again, that shouldn’t have been too surprising considering who he was traveling with. Still, something about this didn’t sit right with him, and his stomach dropped as he finally built up the courage to open it already.

_You’re getting rather cozy, aren’t you, Prompto? Seeing as you’ve managed to weasel your way in the middle of his group. The prince does seem rather fond of you. So, I wonder, how would he feel if something were to happen to you? Would he be devastated, too shaken to keep his composure. After all, the best way to get to people is to go after those that they care about. Don’t take it too personally, but of the three, I have a feeling you’re the more interesting one of the bunch._

The blond took a few deep breaths in, but it didn’t feel as though they were doing any good; he was light-headed and his pulse was ringing in his ears as the words replayed over and over again in his head. He swallowed the lump in his throat painfully and his hands trembled. Why was he so freaked out? This should have been nothing, it could have just been a cruel prank from some kid somewhere, or maybe they had the wrong number and they were referring to a different Prompto and Noctis...and a different prince with that same name.

His eyes refused to tear away from the device, and he just stared at it for an extended period of time. He would have continued to do so, too, if another, larger hand hadn’t reached over and gently pushed the phone down and out of the kid’s sight.

“Prompto?” Gladio questioned, his voice sluggish and raspy with a touch of puzzlement underneath. He didn’t get an answer for a few seconds, causing his worry to perk up and he pushed himself into a half-propped up position. “Hey,” he called out again, his hand now moving to nudge the gunner on the upper arm, “you in there?”

Prompto finally released a heavy and shuddery exhale before turning to face the shield. His face must have shown just what he was feeling because less than a fraction of a second, Gladio was sitting up, his face now clear of his exhaustion. “I-It’s nothing,” he stammered, trying to brush it off, wanting to do so more than anything, but he was unable to shake his own growing fear. “Really, it’s just some stupid...thing,” he muttered, ready to just turn the phone off. But, he was too slow as the brute snatched it up instead before he had the chance to react or do anything about it.

“Wait!” Prompto exclaimed, calling out louder than he intended. The sudden commotion was enough to rouse the others from the other bed, both of which shared the same mutterings of annoyance and irritation.

“What’s all this about?” Ignis asked, already sitting up and rubbing at his own eyes. Noctis, on the other hand, had barely twitched from his spot, but he was still awake and unfortunately hearing everything going on. The adviser gazed over at them, and with the seriousness on the older man’s face, accompanied with the dread and terror on the others, his mins snapped into wakefulness. “Gladio?” he questioned, allowing his demand and urgency to shine through.

The shield took a few more seconds to read over the message again. Unlike Prompto, the first emotion to bubble to the surface wasn’t confusion or horror, but rather rage and fury. He hadn’t even noticed how tight his other fist was clenched until the brunet called out to him once again. “You know who this bastard is?” he asked, ignoring the other and looking straight to the blond expectantly. Not uttering a single syllable, the gunslinger shook his head slowly and dropped his head. He stared down almost as if in shame.

Now this really had Ignis’ curiosity, and with the sound of his shield’s tone, even the prince was sitting up and looking over. The brunet flipped the light on, earning a few hisses and groans from the others, but he hardly appeared to be phased by the intrusion of light. “Let me see that,” he ordered, holding out a slender and waiting hand. He looked it over just as the brute had, and he had a similar response to the message, although he managed to keep his anger in check and keep his cool about it.

“Did you just get this?” he asked, looking pointedly at the blond, obviously not in the mood for any aversions of his questions. Slowly, Prompto nodded and raised his head just enough to meet the inquisitive stare.

“Yeah...just now,” he replied, wishing he would have just waited until morning to check it. For some reason, a ping of guilt fluttered in his heart at having woken everyone. With the week they had, sleep wasn’t exactly a thing they could afford to miss out on. Letting out a heavy sigh, the blond shrugged his shoulders and held his hand to take it back. “It’s fine though...I’m sure it’s nothing.”

However, Ignis didn’t take the bait, if anything he was more determined not to leave it at that. “I’m just going to hold onto this,” he said, getting to his feet and strolling over to pluck his discarded jacket from one of the dining chairs.

“You going somewhere, Specs?” Noctis asked, the only one who still had sleep weighing down his words.

“Yes, I am, and the two of you are coming with me,” he said, and it wasn’t a suggestion, he really wasn’t giving them a choice in the matter.

At this, all three of them perked up, all sharing the same question in their eyes. “Two?” Gladio asked.

“Indeed, Prompto is to stay here,” he clarified, only raising more questions and confusion. He looked over long enough to catch the expressions he was faced with. “Don’t worry, I don’t intend to leave him here alone. I’m going to make a quick call. Someone has to stay here with him. But, if that message is really a threat like it appears to be, then I have no doubt that whoever sent it is in the area, waiting. Even if it is empty words, I still suspect them to at least stick by to watch things unfold.”

None of them had really thought about it, but now that it was out there, they didn’t have any arguments against it. Well, no one but Prompto. “What, you mean like a babysitter?” he asked, slightly offended. “Don’t you think that’s a tad overboard, I mean I can look out for myself. There really isn’t a need to get anyone else involved in this,” he half-chucked, a clear sign of his nerves getting the better of him.

The adviser cleared his throat, obviously he should have chosen his words better. “No, not like ‘babysitter’, just a bit of reassurance, if you will,” he corrected, snatching up his own phone to make a quick call. In a matter of seconds, the phone was ringing and he had it pressed firmly against his ear, ready to start talking the moment it was answered. And, he did just that, quickly going over what had happened and what was needed. When he was done, he wasted no time in hanging up and sliding his jacket on.

“Come on, the both of you, start getting ready. By the time we’re all set, he should be here. Lucky for us, he happened to be in the area,” he informed, not missing a bit. The words seem to tumble out of his mouth, barely leaving time to breathe.

Neither of them dared to ask anything more or speak of anything out. This was probably one of the only times they’ve seen this man be this serious, second only to the day their home fell. They exchanged only a small glance before getting to their feet. To be fair, Gladio wanted nothing more than to give this person a piece of his mind...and perhaps an introduction to his fist. However, he had a feeling with Ignis tagging along, he wouldn’t get the opportunity to do much of anything.

Noctis, though, was still a bit hazy, everything happened so fast, and no one bothered to explain a thing to him. But, he figured that he had plenty of time to ask questions when they were out. A glance at his friend told him that maybe now wasn’t the best time to start talking about all this. Not when he appeared to be as shaken and concerned as he was.

It didn’t take much time after that until the three of them were dressed and finally waking up completely. All except for Prompto, who still remained exactly where he was. Not once had he gotten up or even moved. But, he did raise his attention to watch the others as they buzzed about, yanking up their belongings and slipping their shoes on. Just as he took in a deep breath, his focus, along with the others’, snapped to the door as a knock resounded off the walls. Ignis was the one to take it upon himself to investigate. With a quick glanced through the peephole, he let out a small breath of relief and pushed it open.

“Thank you for coming on such short notice,” the adviser muttered along with reaching his hand out to shake the other’s.

Cor just shook his head in understanding and accepted the gesture. “Don’t worry about it, it’s not a problem. I was just passing through anyway, so making a pit stop won’t hinder anything,” he promised, letting his hand drop away. He then gazed passed the brunet to look to the others. It was pretty obvious that none of them expected to see him there, but it was the blond that appeared to be the most surprised.

“Really?” Prompto asked, looking between the immortal and the strategist. “You got him to come? Don’t you think he might, I dunno, have more important things to do?” he asked, now completely embarrassed to have someone of that man’s caliber sticking by him through this. This was overkill, and it was humiliating. He really did feel like a small child in need of protecting, and quite frankly, he was more than a little put off by that.

It was the commander that replied. “From what I was told, I think this is for the best. We don’t know who this person is or what they’re capable of. There’s no such thing as being too prepared,” he added with a small nod in the blond’s direction.

The blond didn't have anything else to say to that and just lowered his gaze once more and scooted himself closer to the headboard to lean against it and draw up his knees. No matter what any of them said, he still wasn’t comfortable with this whole thing. He merely took a deep breath, leaned his head back, and accepted this for what it was. The man was already here, it would have only been a huge waste of his time to send him away now.

Now that Cor was there, the others were ready to set out on their way to scout the area. Though, Prompto still thought they were taking all of this a bit too far. He appreciated it, yeah, it was just a lot and not something he was particularly used to. Defeated, he sat back as the door clicked closed and him and the immortal were left to themselves. For a while, only awkward silence and the occasional cough and sigh filled the room.

Unable to tolerate it any longer, Prompto cleared his throat in a more exaggerated way, easily catching the other’s attention. “So,” he started, feeling so out of place, “are you sure this is really alright? For you to be here I mean. I mean, I’m sure you’re a pretty busy guy and this must be an inconvenience and so out of your way. And, well, it’s just that y-”

“Prompto,” Cor spoke up, cutting off the younger man’s anxious ramblings, “it’s really alright. I wasn’t doing anything, and this is no trouble. If it helps, this was a threat to the prince as well. So, if you want to think about it that way, then feel free to.”

“Right,” the blond muttered, shifting uneasily closer to the edge of the bed. Sitting there like that, it was starting to drive him crazy. “Does...this sort of stuff happen often?” he asked after a moment, lifting his gaze and finally gathering the courage to look the man in the face. “I can’t imagine this is the first time a threat like this has popped up.”

Cor leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest, making himself more comfortable. “Oh yeah, quite often actually. Though, most are in the form of letters and to His Highness directly. Happened to the king often enough as well. It just comes with the title. Though, I can’t say targeting those close to the royals is something I would call common. I think that’s why they’re taking this one so seriously.

The blond pursed his lips at that. Seemed pretty backwards to him, but whatever. “You don’t think they’re overexxagerating a bit then?” he asked. A part of him really wanted him to say no, mostly because it would validate his initial reaction to see the message. If they were taking it more seriously than they needed to, then what did that say about him?

“Not at all,” the commander answered, earning a soft sigh of relief from his mortal companion. “In fact, I believe they are treating this with the severity it needs. I don’t think you fully understand the gravity of something like this. If someone, one you don’t know, was able to acquire your number without you knowing, know who you are, then it’s safe to assume they know where you guys are as well. That on top of them having ill-intent. Yes, this is a rather serious matter and one that needs to be dealt with before it has the chance to escalate.”

Well, when it was put like that… “Oh…” the gunner muttered, now feeling a tad foolish. No matter what, it was one thing or another. “I see. Think they’ll be alright then?” The way he saw it, he should be out there with them, it was as if they were taking care of his problem for him. And, if it was as Cor said, and this was about Noctis, then he definitely shouldn’t be out there. None of this was making any sense to him, and he was convinced they all had their priorities backwards. But, he had to trust them on this, they were the experienced experts when it came to these sorts of things.

“They’ll be fine. Both Gladio and Ignis have been trained their whole lives to hand these matters. I have no doubts they will make quick work of things and get whoever this is in the hands of the authorities. Just, try to keep your mind off it.”

He was right, Prompto knew he was, he was just a bit off due to the message, and he was well aware that’s all it was. Cor was completely right, they were fine, and they would be fine. Hell, they’ve taken down behemoths and much more menacing foes, this was nothing compared to all that. It was ridiculous to even consider this being an issue for the three of them to handle. Alone, each of them could have taken care of this, and they were together. If anything, he should have been worrying about them going overboard when they caught the guy.

“Yeah, I suppose,” he shrugged, allowing himself to finally relax a bit. He hadn’t realized how tense he was until he felt the slight aches in his shoulders. He needed to calm down a bit.

Cor leaned forward at the same time, a different look now occupying his deep and thoughtful gaze. “You know, you seem different from the last time I’ve seen you,” he muttered, hand now at his chin. “I can’t quite put my finger on you, but you seem like you’ve grown up a bit.”

The blond couldn’t quite hide the embarrassed heat that rose to his cheeks. “I-I do?” he stammered. “I don’t think anything’s different...I feel the same anyway.”

“No, you definitely have, and that’s not a bad thing. I think you’re finally shaping into quite the crownsguard,” he commented as he leaned back once more. “Last time I remember, you could hardly stand on your own two feet in front of someone without being a nervous wreck. And yet, here you are, traveling with the prince, his shield and adviser. Out of all those other people, you were the one chosen to tag along,” he muttered, a hint of pride in his tone. Prompto couldn’t quite place what that was though, but it was odd, a tone he wasn’t quite used to.

He was so put on the spot, how the hell was he supposed to respond, let alone speak after having something like that said to him? “Uh, t-thanks?” he replied awkwardly, mentally slapping himself for sounding so stupid.

“I’m not kidding, Prompto, you’ve come a long way, and it’s quite remarkable. You should be proud. I know it wasn’t easy, but somehow, against the odds, you did it, and here you are, standing among some of the best.” As hard as it was for the gunner to take all this in, it was clear that it wasn’t empty flattery. Cor...this immortal man, was actually giving him, a nobody most of his life, genuine compliments.

All he could think to do was smile at that, it was all he could really bring himself to do, knowing that whatever came out of his mouth was bound to be incomprehensible mutterings or something short and meaningless. Lucky enough for him, he didn’t have to because, just in time, the door creaked back open and the familiar voices of the others filtered through. Mostly coming from the raven himself, and none of the words being particularly friendly ones.

“Everything...alright?” the blond asked, glancing over to see the more than annoyed expression as Noctis practically stomped his way back in.

“No, it’s not,” the prince replied. “Why didn’t anyone tell me what happened before we left? Prompto, you should have woken us up the moment you got that message, you know. Seriously, what were you thinking?” The things said sounded as though they were said from anger, but the worry was clear and Prompto was just amused with the tone if anything. He expected nothing else from the guy.

“Sorry,” the blond swiftly apologized and raised his hands in mock surrender. “I guess I didn’t think much of it.” He chuckled to himself nervously, but the laugh was humorless.

Noctis folded his arms and looked down at the other pointedly. “I don’t see what’s so funny about that, but it’s been taken care of. Turns out the guy was lurking around outside. But the idiot was too much of a dumbass to put his phone on silent. One phone call and that was it, we found him.”

“If it wasn’t that bad, then why’re you all worked up?” Prompto asked with a raised eyebrow.

“That’s not the point. The point is it could have been worse,” he muttered, kicking his shoes off and stripping his jacket off before falling face first back onto his bed. “Next time, you damn well better say something...we lucked out on this one, you got that?”

Prompto just smiled at that as he watched the raven relax against the mattress. Already he was letting his exhaustion carry him away. The gunner didn’t know how he did it, especially with the commander in the same room like that. He did it so naturally and so casually, it wasn’t human.

Shaking his head, he looked back to the others who had all gathered around the table and taken a seat. They were all clearly tired, but after what had just transpired, they weren’t sure if they would even be able to get back to sleep. With nothing else to do, the blond took the fourth seat around the table and fell quiet as the others talked amongst themselves. But, his eyes kept drifting back to the immortal, his earlier vibe now gone, but his words lingered in his heart. He never noticed it until now, but there was something about that man, something familiar, but he couldn’t quite figure out what it was. For now, he shrugged it aside and leaned forward, finding comfort in the conversation before him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ~AND I BELIEVE IT IS TIME TO CLOSE REQUESTS~
> 
> (I apologize, but they're starting to really add up now. xD)
> 
> And, I'm sorry and hate to do this, but from now on, I will message people before I do your story, and if I don't get a reply, it will be skipped until I hear from you again. Only reason I feel the need to do this is because multiple times, I have written a request, and the person would never show up again. And, honestly, these take time, and if the person that asked doesn't stick around, then I don't want to take the time to do it.
> 
> Queue as of now:
> 
> 53 - Defiant Drift  
54 - Prompto-cam  
55 - xYukiNoYume  
56 - __C'estletemps_  
57 - Mirajane92  
58 - Brooke3131  
59 - Free_Bird  
60 - MasterThiefWolf
> 
> ~IF YOU REQUESTED AND YOUR NAME IS NOT ON THIS LIST, PLEASE LET ME KNOW, I SOMETIMES LOSE TRACK~


	53. In Darkness, We Stand

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a year of dealing with his new life, it was only a matter of time before Ignis would have to learn to cope with it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta read by: Sinikka_von_Wolperting
> 
> Request for: Defiant Drift
> 
> My Tumblr for any questions or concerns

Another muttered swear and the shattering of glass filled the small area. The sound instantly roused the brute of a man from his light slumber as he jolted upright. Rubbing the back of his neck and blinking against the darkness, Gladio brought his attention to his left, and a saddened, yet frustrated, sigh escaped him.

“Ignis…” he mumbled, peeling the covers back. The small and quiet sounds of the blonds light snoring were still filtering out, so he still tried to stay quiet enough not to wake him as well. Though, if that crash hadn’t woken him, then he doubted anything would. “How many times do I have to tell you, it’s alright to ask for some help every now and then,” he reminded, the words were starting to become repetitive, losing all meaning.

The same heavy breath left the adviser's form, but he didn’t move from the spot. Even in the shadows, the shield could see the slight lowering of his head. “It’s just a glass of water,” he nearly spat. “Surely I can accomplish a simple task such as that.”

“It’s only been a year.”

Ignis said nothing, but Gladio quickly got to his feet as he saw the other crouch down to begin cleaning up. “Let me take care of that...you just go sit down.” He reached out to assist in the trek over, but his touch was harshly swatted away with a sharp intake.

“I don’t need your help…”

Now he was starting to get irritated. “Iggy, come on, you’re being stubborn, and you know it as well as I do,” Gladio ground out. “You’re being childish about all this, now shut up, get out of the way, and let me take care of this,” he more or less ordered. Behind him, barely, he could hear the shuffling of covers as their third member shuffled into the waking world.

For a few seconds, Prompto said nothing, still trying to chase the remainders of sleep away. But, he did knew the two of them were arguing...again. He had lost count of how many times this had marked now. Sitting up, the blond rubbed the sleep from his eyes and groggily gazed upon the both of them. Chewing on his bottom lip, he finally built up the nerve to get to his feet and slowly make his way over.

“Careful…” the shield warned, “there’s broken glass on the floor.” The gunner merely hummed in acknowledgement and slowed down his pace, practically dragging his feet instead.

“Iggy…” Prompto uttered, slightly confused at the sight of the bespectacled man crouched on the floor. “What’s going on?” As his eyes adjusted, he glanced from him to the larger man, and then to the floor. Slight glints caught his attention and the pieces easily and quickly fell into place. “Oh…” he added, mostly to himself and shot a questioning glance at the brute, who in turn just slowly shook his head. “Let us...take care of this,” he offered. Prompto instantly reeled back when he received the same treatment.

“I don’t need to be hovered over twenty-four seven,” he reminded, spitefully. How did they expect him to learn to cope with his knew life if they never trusted him to do anything on his own? Over a year of this...it was really beginning to grate on him; he didn’t know how much more he could take of this mother henning. But, unfortunately, the two of them showed no signs of giving up. He was in the minority here. So, he released a low breath and slowly rose to his feet.

Out of instinct, Prompto placed a hand on his upper arm to try and guide him, but that, too, was shrugged away. Taken aback, and trying not to let the sting from the action show, the younger man stepped back to allow the adviser his space.

“Leave him be,” Gladio grumbled, raising a hand to stop the blond before he could go after him. “Get the light, will ya? So we can get this cleaned up.” With each word spoken, Prompto cut his attention over to Ignis, hoping none of this was getting to him. It was nothing more than wishful thinking though. Of course it was...all of it was. Even when they didn’t say anything, he could tell it was long before the man would recover mentally and emotionally. He may have said he was fine...but all of that was painful lies.

“Prompto.”

“Oh, right.” Ripping his attention from the strategist, he strolled a few feet over and flicked on the light. Instantly, his eyes widened at the mess on the floor. Water and glass was everywhere. It was a miracle he hadn’t stepped on anything on the way over. Tiptoeing back, he evaded all of it and made a beeline for his shoes, grabbing Gladio’s while he was over as well. “Here,” he offered, dropping them at the man’s side.

The shield nodded his thanks. Seeing as he had this part taken care of, Prompto instead grabbed another glass and half filled that with water. “I’ll be right back.” Cautiously, still painfully aware of the storm brewing inside, the gunner made his way over before carefully placing the glass on the table. “Here, I uh, brought you some water,” he announced, mostly so Ignis wouldn’t accidently knock it over.

Nothing.

Dipping his head and about to turn around, Prompto paused, something alarming caught his attention and he instantly turned back around. “You’re bleeding…” he observed, bright orbs darting to the adviser’s right hand and the red that was still steadily dripping from it. Not a moment later did a fearful ‘shit’ sound out from the other side of the room.

“Ignis, why didn’t you say something?” Gladio asked, hand gesturing to the droplets that decorated the tiled floor. “Dammit,” he added, back on his feet. This was starting to get ridiculous now. The man was clearly a hazard to himself, and he was so adamant on being this hard-headed. Sure, it wasn’t this bad this time, but what about the next?

Before things could escalate any further, Prompto raised both hands to signal to Gladio to stay where he was. “It’s alright, I got this,” he assured. The best thing for all of the right now is if the two of them were separated, even if just marginally. Hell, the three of them had spent so much time together recently, it was only natural they were start to grate on one another’s nerves. Even so, this had to have been a tad excessive.

“I-I’ll get the first aid,” he mumbled, only slightly frazzled. The grips of sleep were still barely hanging on, and he had yet to shake the last of them from his conscious. So, everything was still a bit on the hazy side. But, the sight of the blood, it had been enough to sober him up quite a bit.

It didn’t take him long to locate the little white box and drag it back. The cut didn’t look too bad, not bad enough to warrant a potion anyway. Those were pretty hard to come by these days, so they had to be sparing with what they had.

“Give me your hand.” Surprisingly, Ignis didn’t complain, but the look on his face told just how unhappy he was about it. It was humiliating; like being a child in need of a parent to patch them up after a fall. But, against himself, he kept his opinions to himself and did as he was asked. If for nothing else, then to get this over with as quickly as possible. So lost in his own bitterness, he jolted with a pained hiss as fire erupted in the palm of his hand.

“Sorry,” Prompto apologized.

“Would it hurt to give some warning?” Ignis shot back, but he quickly calmed himself down. He knew he was just lashing out now...Prompto did nothing wrong. He was just trying to help. And, here he was just making it harder for the both of them. Either way, he was resilient in his ways. For the rest of the time, he sat in muted agitation, only a few more hisses and twitches emitted from him.

Within just a few minutes, the gunner hummed to signal that he was finished. “It’s not the best, but I suppose it gets the job done,” he lightly chuckled to himself, trying to lighten the mood.

“Thanks,” Ignis muttered, drawing his hand back to rest in his lap. Thinking that was the end of that, Prompto went to turn around to lend a hand to Gladio, but the purposeful inhale drew him right back in. “I’m not sure how the two of you deal with this…” he sighed out.

Taken off guard, the gunner stepped slightly closer. “W-What are you talking about? Deal with what?” His brows knit together in confusion.

Ignis took another deep breath, the thought of talking about any of this sent a shiver down his spine. He’s never really done this, and honestly, it was unbecoming. He repositioned himself, visibly put off by this, but he pushed through it. “This,” he repeated, gesturing with both his hands all around him. “With me, with the babysitting, the constant worrying and watching my every move to make sure I don’t cause any more harm to myself or my surroundings? I know it hasn’t been easy for the two of you either. So...how?”

The both of them paused, Gladio ceased his cleaning to glance out of the corner of his eye. Prompto looked to him, silently begging him to take over...this wasn’t exactly his strong suit. The brute was fast to pick up on the silent cues and waved for the gunner to switch roles with him.

Thankful for the rescue, the blond swiftly took over with the sweeping, but his eyes remained on the two of them, unsure how this was going to play out. It could take any number of turns, and with the way things had been as of late, he wasn’t getting his hopes up. As he watched the shield stroll over, he could sense a lighter air around the man, like he had completely cooled off. Maybe it was the tone in which the adviser spoke, but whatever it was, it was relieving.

Though, it seemed as though Gladio was as uncomfortable as the younger had been, for he stood there, shifting from one foot to the other before he finally found the right words. “Ignis, that’s enough of that. We deal with it because we care, alright?”

Clearly that wasn’t enough, and the brunet just scoffed to himself.

“Yeah, you know what, things have been rough, for all of us, and it sure as hell hasn’t been easy. But, we’re still here, aren’t we?” He folded his arms over his chest and gazed down at the man. “You can believe and think what you want, but that’s the truth. Why do you think I’ve been trying to drill into that thick skull of yours that we’re here for you? It sure as hell isn’t because I feel sorry for you or think you’re incapable of anything.”

Deep down, Ignis knew that to be true, and he wasn’t sure why himself, but he hated having to need assistance for things. No one thought any less of him. He supposed it was the pity they all felt for him. Every time they looked at him, he could feel it, feel their watchful guys with every step he took. Every minor task, they were there, making sure he didn’t fuck it up in one way or another.

“You gotta stop trying to rush things...you’ll get there eventually. For now, just let us do what we can.” With that, he was done, he was finished with the conversation. There was nothing more he could say. If this didn’t get through to the man, then nothing would. Not that he could blame him. In the matter of a day, the guy went from managing all of them and being on top of everything to needing to be taken care of. His whole life...snatched away.

“We’ll get through this...but it has to be together.”

Prompto kept to himself during this whole exchange; he didn’t want to intervene when the two of them were getting along better than they had in months. He couldn’t help but to smile to himself as he swept up the last of the shards. Or what he hoped to be the last of them. He was right though, all they had was one another now, they had to stick it out through these hard times, no matter how challenging.

They fell into a comfortable silence for a while, both Gladio and Prompto finished cleaning things up and making sure nothing else was out of place. Ignis, for once, stayed where he was and didn’t try to jump in like he normally did, much to the relief of the others.

Then, after a while, the adviser rose to his feet with a deep breath, both hands hovered over the arms of the chair. “I think I’m heading back to bed,” he announced, and they knew exactly what that meant. ‘I want to be left alone for a bit.’

“Right,” Gladio sighed getting the hint before he let out a worthy yawn. Come to think of it, he never checked the time, but based on how exhausted he still was, it couldn’t have been that late into the night. Even the small walk over, the brunet knew they were watching. They were becoming more subtle about it, and a little bit more sparing with their glances, but it was definitely there. He was just thankful neither of them tried to jump in and guide him this time. He wasn’t sure he’d be able to keep it together if they had.

Taking the cue, and honestly wanting to get some more shuteye themselves, the other two followed Ignis’ example, slipping back under their own covers. It was still some time before either of them could get back to sleep, and when they finally did, it wasn’t the most restful. Maybe it was being woken in the middle of the night in the manner that they were, or maybe it was the fact that Ignis had finally broken, even if just a little bit, that didn’t allow them the sleep they craved.

Soon enough, morning rolled around, or what could be assumed to be morning. It was hard to tell anymore. Gladio slowly sat up, feeling a lot more refreshed this time around. And, to his surprise, he glanced over to see Ignis back in the chair. It didn’t appear as though he had noticed his presence yet.

“When did you wake up?” the shield asked, stretching out the stiffness in his muscles. These beds really weren’t to be desired.

The brunet shrugged and turned his head the brute’s direction. “A little while ago. Had trouble sleeping,” he mumbled, left hand raising to pull down the length of his face. He then cleared his throat, and it was obvious there was more he wanted to say, but took a bit of mental preparation to come out with it. Finally, figuring he couldn’t hold off on it forever, he finally just asked.

“Actually, I was waiting for you to wake up…” he admitted, the shame tangible in his voice.

“Yeah?”

Again, Ignis debated continuing. But, he already made it this far, there was no turning back. He knew Gladio probably would have wrung it out of him anyway. “I was thinking...it’s been a while since I last tried to cook.” The thought of that last attempt brought with it the tingles in his hands, and his thumb ran over the scars it had left. “I wanted to ask if you would mind lending a hand.”

The shield could easily tell how uneasy this made him, the one thing that use to bring him comfort now a thing he couldn’t do himself. Of course, the answer should have been obvious, there really wasn’t a need to even ask. “Yeah, you know I will. You just have to tell me what to do, because I don’t know what the hell I’m doing.”

Ignis thought back to last night’s meal. “...I’m quite aware.”

“Yeah yeah,” Gladio muttered to himself. It was true though, it had been far too long since they’ve had anything that came close to his cooking in a while. “What’s with the change of heart?” he asked. It was a complete one-eighty from last night.

Ignis just shrugged. “I guess everyone has to come to terms at some point. I can’t go on thinking things will just fix themselves over night. You were right, unfortunately. As much as I desire it, I simply can’t do things on my own.” From the sounds of it, he was still trying to convince himself of that.

“It took you long enough.”

“However, that doesn’t mean I’m happy about it, and that doesn’t mean I’m alright with any of it in the slightest. It’s the lack of choice in the matter, and nothing more,” he clarified. “I wish that weren’t the case, but it is, so I have to suck it up and deal with it while I have to.”

Well, Gladio supposed it was a start, and most likely as close as he was going to get. “Well, it won’t always be like this. Like I said, you just have to get used to it and relearn how to do everything. But, in the meantime, that will have to slowly be worked on.”

“I understand that,” Ignis replied, “but I didn’t want to believe it.” He swallowed thickly and looked down. “Thanks...to both of you for all of this. I promise, and it won’t be smooth in the slightest, but I promise to try to be a little more appreciative of your efforts.” He raised his head just enough for his face to be seen. “You were right though, the only way any of us will get through this is if we stick it out together, through all the ups and downs.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ~AND I BELIEVE IT IS TIME TO CLOSE REQUESTS~
> 
> (I apologize, but they're starting to really add up now. xD)
> 
> And, I'm sorry and hate to do this, but from now on, I will message people before I do your story, and if I don't get a reply, it will be skipped until I hear from you again. Only reason I feel the need to do this is because multiple times, I have written a request, and the person would never show up again. And, honestly, these take time, and if the person that asked doesn't stick around, then I don't want to take the time to do it.
> 
> Queue as of now:
> 
> 54 - Prompto-cam  
55 - xYukiNoYume  
56 - __C'estletemps_  
57 - Mirajane92  
58 - Brooke3131  
59 - Free_Bird  
60 - MasterThiefWolf
> 
> ~IF YOU REQUESTED AND YOUR NAME IS NOT ON THIS LIST, PLEASE LET ME KNOW, I SOMETIMES LOSE TRACK~


	54. Tiny Terror

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A fight goes horribly wrong when Ignis steps in the way to protect the prince from an unknown attack. In which, physically, Ignis is reduced to that of a child. Mentally, however, he's just as he's always been.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta read by: Sinikka_von_Wolperting
> 
> Request for: Prompto-cam
> 
> My Tumblr for any questions or concerns. I also post art and do giveaways. C:
> 
> So, I try to keep these around 3k, but I'm not sure what happened with this one...it ended up being over 11k though. I think I wrote in circles a bit. I'm not sued to deaged fics, so it was a bit challenging and I wasn't sure what I was doing at times. XD Hope it's still enjoyable though...I tried my best. ;w;

Ignis, again, leaned to his left, just narrowly dodging out of the way of a stray spell. The singing sparks emitting from the attack teased his cheek in its passing. He hissed to himself as he swiped the back of his hand over the offending area. This was dragging on for too long, all four of them were growing exhausted. They had to finish this thing off quickly, or he feared for the outcome. The adviser glanced to his left where Prompto stood, breaths coming out heavily, then to his right, where he found Noctis doing the same. Gladio was the only of the group that didn't appear to be on the verge of collapsing.

"Dammit," the brunet muttered, running one of his hands through his hair, trying to rid his features of a few stray hairs.

The blond chuckled humorlessly under his breath and straightened up. "Man, how much can this guy take?" he asked rhetorically. His pistol was gripped in his hand tightly, and his feet planted firmly. The young man seemed to be doing what he could to hide his own fatigue. Something he was positive they were all trying and failing horribly at.

"This guys...starting to piss me off," the prince muttered between deep breaths as he straightened up, preparing toss himself back into the fray of things. Before the eager raven could take another step though, Ignis reached his arm out, blocking the younger's way. "What are you doing?" he practically ground out, wanting nothing more than to put this bastard in his place. This entire time, it was like he had been doing nothing but toying with them.

"Wait," the brunet muttered, eyes never leaving the enemy. "Don't be so rash. Clearly what we've been doing hasn't been working, so continuing to do so will be a waste of time and energy." He gave the prince a small warning glance when he saw him about to protest; the sideways glare, though, was quickly able to make him take a small step back and begrudgingly listen.

Straightening back up, the man never lowered his guard, but he relaxed marginally seeing as there was a good distance between themselves and the target. He glanced at the figure in order to attempt and weigh their options...which were few and not the least bit ideal. "Alright, none of you are going to be too thrilled about this proposition, but it may be the only choice we have at the moment."

"You don't mean…" Noctis went to complain, already knowing where this was going.

"I do, we must fall back," he more or less ordered, not leaving much room for counter-arguments. "We do not know enough about our enemy to stand much of a chance. We can stay and continue to wear ourselves out with no results, or we can retreat and try to learn more about them." He was actually being completely serious; the prince couldn't believe it. Did he really think this was the best option? They had been fighting back for hours now, and he wanted to throw all that away and run away like cowards? They managed to get a few good hits in, as long as they continued to do so, the royal knew they would get a hang of it sooner or later.

Grinding his teeth in heated frustration, Noctis placed a less than gentle grasp on the adviser's wrist and shoved it down and out of the way. "I don't want to hear any more of your nonsense." He felt the light touch on his shoulder for just an instant before he flashed away in a stream of blue light as well as the echo of his name following after him; it was a sound of both annoyance and worry.

'Damn Specs…'

He didn't hesitate as he brought his sword down on the foe, a slash of which, to no surprise, was easily evaded as the man leapt back. The edge of the blade barely grazed the red material that flowed from his hoving frame. He still released a low and annoyed swear under his breath as the hilt was gripped tighter in his hands. The young prince was preparing to try again, despite knowing deep down that it was all for naught, but his sword never got to descend this time. His eyes widened as he witnessed the other preparing himself for an attack as well. This was different than the other times. Instead of lifting his weapon, he was raising his left hand, palm facing the raven.

Out of instincts, Noctis squeezed his eyes shut and turned his head away. He didn't know what was coming and had no idea what to expect, but he had a strong and reasonable feeling that it wasn't something he wanted to see the outcome of. He held his breath as he felt a sensation rush passed him and he was practically shoved back.

"Noctis!" He heard his name called, coming from right next to him the moment after he was pushed. The raven risked peeking a single eye open to peer out, only to see the back of Ignis facing him as a cloud of greenish mist flowed around him. The substance was just out of his range, narrowly missing him. It didn't last for long, but the coughs of the brunet echoed around him. There was no time for him to investigate, to make sure the man was alright before he spun around and had a grasp on the younger man's upper arm.

Ignis began to tug, desperately trying to usher the both of them away and out of here. "Come on, we must go!" he wheezed, voice tight and almost frail. This time, Noctis didn't complain and he didn't protest. He complied without a word, still caught by surprise by whatever the hell had just happened. As the jogged back to the others, the prince could feel the slight tremble that ran down the adviser's arm and then through his own.

"We're getting out of here!" Ignis informed, this time a demand and not a suggestion. Not a single one uttered a single syllable of argument. It was safe to say they were all in agreement with the man. Though, it wasn't only Nctis now, but now the others as well, that began to cast wary glances at the brunet. Without knowing exactly what had happened, there was something off about him; the way he held himself, it was slightly slumped, his features were drawn in minute discomfort.

Just as he took a step, Gladio reached out to place a heavy hand on his shoulder. "Hey...everything alright?" he asked, eyes burrowing into the other man. It was clear he wasn't in the mood for anything short of the honest answer, but a warning glance from Ignis had him instantly backing off.

"Now is not the time to worry about that, not with the enemy still on us," he reminded, not at all gently. "We can worry about everyone's well-being once we our out of harm's way," he added a bit lower. The statement was accentuated by a short series of small, yet pained, coughs. That didn't alleviate anyone's concern, not when he appeared as though he was already about to collapse on the spot at any given second.

If nothing else, it was the worry for the brunet that really got the lot of them moving since it was clear he was unwilling to admit to any discomfort until they were out of here and safe. Thinking swiftly, Gladio took the lead, sword still held in both hands as he went. Internally, he dared anything to stand in his way, without hesitation, he would cut down anything that so much as looked at them in the wrong way.

Lucky for them, they weren't too far into the tunnels and depths of the cave system; it wouldn't take them too long before they could see the light of day again and feel the satisfying and warmth of security on their chilled skin. It was finally within sight, that promise of safety and the first rays of daylight that spelled out their escape. They had no idea if they were being pursued or not; none of them bothered to look back, none wanted to run the risk of slowing down or tripping over a stray obstacle due to their hindered attention.

The moment they broke through the darkness, they all slowed instantly to a halting stop, all out of breath and all leaning over with their hands on their knees.

"Let's...never go back in there," Prompto panted out between deep intakes. Taking one last deep breath, he stood up straight with a humorless and dry chuckle. However, that expression was dropped the next second when he stood back upright and cut his eyes over to the adviser. It was difficult to tell in the shadows of the cave, but he was deathly pale; his entire body was shaking subtle. In fact, it looked as though he was barely aware of the fact that they had made it out.

"Guys…" the blond muttered, the fear and uncertainty in his tone pulling their focus to the brunet as well as they followed his unwavering gaze. "Iggy?" he questioned next and took a tentative step forward. Before he could reach the man, the shield was already beating him to it as an arm was draped around the bespectacled man's shoulders.

The brute used his free hand to tap the man's face lightly. "Hey, you still in there?" he asked light-heartedly, trying his damnedest to veil his worry and apprehension. Slowly, painfully so, the smaller man turned towards him and just nodded. Though, Gladio was convinced it was more so out of reflex than anything. His eyes were hazy, like he was not the least bit aware as to what was even said, let alone what was going on around him.

"Should we...get him help?" Prompto asked, shifting from one foot to the other nervously.

Gladio considered this for a moment, glancing from the brunet to the sky, which was already beginning to darken. He had no idea how far they were from the nearest town, or if they would be able to make it in time. But, he doubted camping when Ignis was in such an out-of-it state was such a good idea. Then, with a mental slap, he moved his hand to press against the man's forehead and let out a soft sigh of relief. Good, there was no fever...in fact, he didn't appear to be ailing at all. Other than being a bit mentally debilitated...he seemed pretty alright. His breathing was fine and he was standing pretty well on his own considering.

"It's getting a bit late," he finally said after he weighed the situation in his head. "We'll make camp, give him an antidote to play it safe. And, if by morning he's not better, then we well take him to get real help, alright?" He looked to either of the younger men, both of which just nodded.

Noctis appears to not be the most thrilled about this outcome, but at the same time, he had nothing to say against it. Gladio was right. As much as he, and the others, disliked it, they couldn't take the risk of getting caught out on the road at night. Exhaling heavily, he stepped forward to offer the adviser a hand. "Lead the way," he called back to his shield as he looped one arm around the brunet's waist.

Every step was a struggle, and more than once the adviser stumbled and had to be caught by his aid. Each time, and it never failed, even the gunslinger took an instinctive step closer to the couple, ready to step in and lend a hand should it be needed. Of course, it was never necessary, but he was there on the off chance Noctis wasn't catching him in time.

Stumble after trip, eventually Gladio raised a hand to call the group to a stop and gestured a bit out in the distance. There, piercing the continuously darkening environment, they could make out the glows of the runes. A collective exhale left the three of them, and no sooner had Ignis leaned more against the raven. The extra weight suddenly pressing against him caused the young man's chest to clench lightly. He was loosing strength, slowly but surely, he was growing weaker by the second. He just prayed he'd at least be able to stay on his feet until they got there.

The rest of the trek wasn't any easier, if anything it was proving to be more of a challenge. However, they did arrive, and well enough in one piece. Nodding, Noctis assisted the adviser in lowering himself to the ground. While the other two worked on getting camp set up, he busied himself with keeping an eye on Ignis, mostly wanting to make sure he didn't get worse or that he managed to wander off without their knowing. Without the knowledge as to what was plaguing him, the didn't wish to take their chances for good reason.

It didn't take too long before things were set up and Gladio had a pot of instant noodles going. It wasn't exactly gourmet like they were growing accustomed to, but it would suffice well enough for the night. There were no complaints anyway. All the while, Noctis sat by Ignis' side who continued to be unresponsive for the entire time. Spirits low, he raised sorrow-filled eyes as a vial was held out to him.

"Thanks," he mumbled and accepted the offered antidote from the shield.

"Any changes?"

The raven shook his head slowly. "Nope, not for the better, but not for the worse either. I'm not sure if that should be relieving or concerning."

"Both." Gladio sighed, a sound that was exhausted and clearly worried and he lowered himself to sit next to the two of them. "Give him that, if it's anything life-threatening, that should cover it. He hasn't keeled over yet, and if he's not showing any signs of doing so, I don't believe we have too much to worry ourselves with." Despite what he said, the prince didn't appear to be paying it much attention, he was too caught up in his sense of dread to give it any real thought. For once, Gladio had to leave it be, he couldn't say anything when he was struggling to convince himself otherwise as well. At this point, he felt it was wishful thinking.

"Food's almost done," the brute muttered, pushing himself back up. "I doubt he's up for eating, you may as well just help him to bed. Maybe some proper rest will work its magic. "Let me know if anything changes...and I mean anything, understand?" he asked. He didn't care, if there was anything that changed for the worse, he did not give a damn what time it was, they would head to the nearest town if need be. Daemons or not, it didn't matter, they would find a way to work around it. They had already lost so much, they couldn't afford anymore of this.

Not a single person objected to Noctis skipping dinner, they both felt the same as he did, and both would have offered to do the same if he hadn't. Instead, he thought his time was better spent staying with Ignis, and he'd be sure not to leave the man's side for the remainder of the night. Probably not until he was back to his usual self. Whenever that would be. He was willing to stick it out though.

He took a deep breath as he leaned back a bit more and slipped his arms to rest behind it. He closed his eyes for only a moment, just enough to give his them a bit of relief, which was much needed by now.

"Noct…" The sound of his name caught him off guard...it was familiar, but at the same time, somewhat foreign. Startled, the young man bolted upright, a sharp gasp slipped out of his throat as he did so.

"Wha-!" he blurted out, heart racing from the unwelcomed intruder. Before he had the chance to question things any further, the voice spoke out to him again, and this time there was a light touch on his arm as well.

Again, whoever it was said his name lightly. "Noctis…" they whispered, tone both curious and frightened at the same time. Blinking a few times, mostly to make sure he was hearing tight, the raven finally pulled his attention towards the source of the sound. Slowly, his focus drifted over, and now he was convinced he was dreaming, or seeing things or something. To be honest, he couldn't have been too certain that he hadn't gotten hit with the same stuff that Ignis had. ...It would explain why the hell he was seeing a child - no older than eight - sitting directly across from him. One with brunet hair...and jade eyes…

"I-Ignis," he said in an alarmed and hushed whisper and yanked his attention to his left, right where he had left said man. Confused to find the spot empty, he called out again, a little bit louder this time. Did he slip out? No, that was impossible, he would have had to climb over him, there was no way he could have been anywhere else other than the tent.

"Noct...it's me…" the child mumbled, looking away with a slight tinge of pink to his features. Bashfully, he raised his arms and let them fall back at his sides. "I-It appears as though, well, we have a bit of a predicament," he admitted, eyes still downcast. He was struggling to look the other in the eyes.

The raven was still at a loss for words. What was he saying...this-this kid was Ignis? There was no way, that was not possible, and it was unheard of. He didn't know what kind of joke this was, but he wasn't buying it. After his mouth hung open for a solid few seconds, the prince did a couple quick scans of the shelter to be sure he hadn't just looked the adviser over.

"I'm not kidding," the kid nearly snapped, finally staring right at the raven. He was quickly losing his patience, and if it weren't for the hasty and authoritative tone in those words, Noctis might have continued to deny that it was really Ignis. But, that coupled with the fact it wouldn't have been the least bit possible for a child of that age to sneak into their camp and right under his nose, was enough to make him listen to the other's words.

"W-What are you talking about. Do you...mean to tell me that you're actually Ignis?" he asked, still unsure if he was actually hearing all of this correctly or not. "You? Ignis?" he repeated, more or less to himself than anyone else. No matter how many times he repeated it, both outward and inward, it never ceased to be ridiculous. This was not happening.

"I-I'm getting the others," he muttered from the lack of knowing what else to do. There was nothing else to do, he didn't know where to even begin with something like this. Gladio wasn't that much older than him, but he was older and had more experience. He had to know something, anything.

"No- wai-" but it was too late, Noctis had already thrust his cover aside and was shoving his way to the other side. He could hear the prince's panicked and stammering words from the other side, that was quickly followed by the others' equally bewildered and bumbling replies.

'Great.'

This, of course, lead to all three of them slowly peeling the material back to catch a gander at the younger adviser. Though, none of them dare to so much as crack a smile when they caught the glare that was slicing straight through the lot of them.

"Iggy?" Prompto spoke up first, voice held back and timid. It was as though he were afraid of his head getting bitten off or something. When the brunet just nodded his head, the blond stepped a little farther inside, eyes widened and scanning the other up and down. "Uh...h-how did this happen? Am I dreaming, is all of this real?" The questions filtered out one after another, both hitting the man in quick succession.

How was he supposed to answer, he wished he knew himself. "I think...it has something to do with that gas I was hit with," he thought aloud. "I don't remember anything after we started running, next thing I'm aware of, I'm waking up here and like...this." He gestured to himself and the jacket that now hung loosely off his body.

"So...will it wear off?"

"Prompto, I don't know anymore than you do, but dammit, I wish I did." His voice was snippy, enough so to cause the gunslinger to reel back from the sharpness of the response.

The scoff from the raven that trailed after beckoned Ignis to look his way in irritation. "Don't throw a tantrum, we're all a bit on edge," Noctis muttered with a slight grin.

The brunet, on the other hand, was less than amused with the smart remark. "I'll have you know, I may be beneath you in stature, but not in mental capabilities. This is no time for joking, and this is a serious matter. I think we all know, I cannot remain in this form. Now, I expect to be presented with the same respect you would show me any other day."

"Noct? Respect?" Gladio rolled his eyes at the humor of that statement. "But, you're right, we can't let you stay this way. But, I'm as lost as you are...I've never heard of something like this." His right hand resting under his chin in thought, racking his brain for anything he may have picked up. But, there was nothing, not a single instance he could recall that so much as mentioned something even remotely related to this. "Anyone else got anything?" he asked, not really expecting anything useful, but it didn't hurt to ask anyway.

Nothing new...no responses, just blank stares and silence.

"Maybe it'll wear off?" Prompto asked with a slight shrug. "I mean, it's possible, isn't it, there's no way this can be permanent...or I would hope not."

Ignis was just as much at a loss as the rest of them were. For once, he had no idea how to address a problem and it was in no way sitting well with him. He lowered his head as he pondered. There was only one thing he could think of. But he, and he was sure as well as the others, really did not wish to have to do so. But...what other option was there? It was the best they had.

"We have to go back…" he muttered.

The notion snapped all three of the others' attentions to him in an instant.

"What?" Noctis asked, incredulously. "We were almost killed back there, not to mention you were the one in such a hurry to leave? Remember? And now you expect us to go back? Are you sure this hasn't affected your brain as well?"

The other two said not a word, they merely watched as the other two discussed this among themselves. With more talking, it would only complicate things. The least they could do was hear the man out. Not like they had anything better anyway. Though, from the look of it, he wasn't even sure if this was making any sense.

"Maybe it's like a curse," the adviser dragged on, musing, rambling in the hopes that new ideas would spark. "As with most of these, you can't just 'cure' them, they either have to be broken or the caster has to be killed," he summed up, as if it was as simple as that.

"Yeah, but in case you missed it, we were getting our asses handed to us," the blond reminded needlessly.

Ignis cut his eyes over. "Correct, but that's because we charged in without so much as a plan."

Noctis rolled his eyes. He wasn't sure what difference a plan would make, not against an enemy like that anyway. Again, he didn't have anything better, so he didn't have any right to say anything about any of this. "And," he sighed, "have any ideas then?" He shifted his weight over to one leg, waiting for the reply.

Unnaturally, the other fell quiet and lowered his head...he had no idea. Then again, it was damn near impossible to think straight like this: clothes hanging off him and about to slip off with every movement. It wasn't helping the humiliation he was harboring in the slightest, and he was sure it wasn't doing any favors with him being taken serious either. Who knows, maybe Noctis was right for a change, maybe there was no point in going back. They hadn't the slightest clue of how to deal with that guy and without that knowledged it would have ended the same if they were to go back. Not to mention...what if this were to happen to one of the others, then they would be even worse off.

Maybe they should just forget about this and hope it was one of those problems that fixed themselves given enough time. Perhaps that would be for the better for all of them. It wasn't ideal...but with what was on the line...it just wasn't worth it.

"On second thought…" he muttered, already regretting his decision, "going back may not be the best course of action after all." There was a collective sharp intake from the others as they revealed their disdain for that change of heart. He had to be joking...of course he was, there was no way he was alright leaving without coming up with some sort of solution.

"Are you serious?" Prompto asked. He wasn't buying it for an instant.

"You realize this means you'll have to let one of them drive, right?" Gladio questioned, eyebrow raised as he jabbed a thumb to either of the others. "Ignis…" he said, voice low and void of all humor. "You know we can't agree to this, right? There is no way in hell this is going to stand. We can't leave you like this, and there is not a single chance you would leave any of us if we were in the same boat. So, sorry, but I'm going to have to disagree with you. What about you two?"

"I'm with Gladio," Noctis sighed without hesitation. "I'm already used to being driven around, and I would prefer if that didn't change."

"Same."

The brunet was at a loss for words, a few times his mouth opened and closed. Sure, he expected this to happen, but he didn't have any responses prepared for this. "You guys are aware of the risks of going back there, aren't you?" They were, how could they not be. But sure they had forgotten if they were truly willing to go back.

"Do you think we care?" the prince shot back without missing a beat.

"You of all of us should," Ignis answered. "You have a duty to fulfill, you of all of us do not need to be subject to such a curse. Do you really understand what you'll be getting into?" He looked to each of them one by one, seeing nothing but genuine willing to sacrifice in each of their gazes. He was grateful, really, but he just couldn't accept it. Straightening up, as much as he could and looking up at them, he took a few steps forward, momentarily letting his small stature slip his mind. He barely managed to take the first step before tripping over his own clothes. Luckily, the shield was there to catch the little tyke before he had the chance to faceplant on the spot.

"Careful," the brute chuckled softly as he lifted the boy up to stand back on his feet. It was difficult to ignore the flushing of his cheeks. Ok, this was definitely something he would not be able to get used to, that much was for certain.

Once he was on his own two feet, he took a couple of cautious steps forward. "If you guys are really that bent on going, then I'll be going as well."

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Prompto asked. He didn't mean to insult...but he was a child, kind of. It was too dangerous for him to go back. That and what if he got hit again? Would he get even younger, would he die? There was still too much they didn't know, too many possibilities and questions unanswered. "I mean...not that you can't handle yourself, I'm sure you can, better than myself, but what I mean i-"

"I know what you mean, Prompto," the brunet sighed.

The blond lowered himself marginally. "Oh...of course."

"But, if this is really what everyone wants, then the least you all can do is wait until morning," he suggested, hoping they could at least agree to that. They appeared to be quite reluctant, but there was a few small nods as they considered it. Despite how desperate their want to return, even they knew night was the worst time to go. It wouldn't hurt them to wait a few hours for the sun to come up. Their conversation finally drawing to an end, the four of them hunkered down for the night, though rest did not easily seek them out. Eventually, however, one by one, they fell into a restful slumber. All aside from one.

Ignis lied there, eyes staring up at the roof of their tent as the snores of the other three taunted him. He released a heavy breath of exhaustion and annoyance. He tossed and turned every so often, hoping and praying that a different position would present him with desired results. It was nothing more than wishful thinking on his part.

It was pointless, he knew this was going to get him nowhere...he needed some fresh air. But, looking down at his form, with what he was currently 'wearing', he had a feeling that wasn't going to be happening either. Speaking of, he had no idea what he was going to do about the trek back there, about the clothing situation… That was going to be a task in and of itself. He could just wear a long shirt...but then what would he do when he changed back - if he changed back. Then he would be in an even worse situation. His face flustered at the thought of that.

He turned to his side to face away from the others. They were asleep, so there was no way of them seeing his embarrassment, even if they weren't, it was far too dark to make out his features. It didn't matter though, somehow, he could still feel their judging gazes upon him.

The man - kid - wasn't even sure if he'd be able to make it through the night without completely imploding on himself with the mere thoughts that were intruding his mind. Why wouldn't they just go away and let him get at least a few hours. But, there was something else bothering him, something he didn't want to consciously think about. Yet, there it was, refusing to be shoved to the back of his mind.

He really did not want the others to return to that place.

With the limited knowledge they had...it was just a no go for him, especially not Noct. His small hands clenched at his sides as he finally let those imposing thoughts free from their binds. It was useless trying to fight them, impossible, really. It wasn't going to happen, he wasn't going to let His Highness go there for the same to be cast upon him. Taking a deep breath, the young adviser sat up, his eyes staring forward as his teeth played with the inside of his cheek.

He wasn't thinking anymore, his reduced fram acted on its own and he pushed himself up to his feet. Kicking off his pants, he grabbed one of the blankets instead and wrapped that around himself. Well, it wasn't ideal, but it would make a quick fix to the clothing issue. Making sure it was secure enough, he took one more glance back before steeling himself and taking that first step out of the tent.

The cold air hit him like a dagger. A small shiver wracked his form, but he shook it off and trudged on. He never would have guessed, but it made sense given the sudden change in body length that walking would be a little weird, and it took a few more steps for him to start getting the hang of it. He felt like a damn toddler learning to walk for the first time. He was just thankful the others weren't there to see it...that would have destroy-

"Where do you think you're going?"

'Shit!'

He froze on the spot as the question from the shield reached him. The words practically served as weights on his ankles, pinning him to the spot. "Where does it look like?" he replied without turning to face the much larger man. It was none of his business.

"You don't plan on heading back there now, do you? That would make you a bit of a hypocrite, dontcha think?"

The brunet shrugged one shoulder. "No, I said you all can wait until morning, I said nothing about myself if I recall correctly." It was snide, enough so to cause the brute to let out a small and irritated growl under his breath.

"Well, you look ridiculous, I hope you know that. And we already said if one of us goes back then we all do." He folded his arms over his chest. There was no point now, Gladio was faster than him even when he was his normal self. Escaping his grasp now was utterly out of the question. From where he stood, Gladio could pick up on the exasperated exhale; an exhale that repeated itself two more times as he heard two more pairs of steps join the first.

"Very well."

The adviser struggled to hide the expression of pure joy from his features. These idiots, the lot of them they were. There was no telling them not to tag along, and he very well understood this. Instead of telling them to turn back as he would any other time, he set his face in a stern mask and just nodded.

"I wouldn't wish to have it any other way," he admitted, despite the words he had been spewing all this time. It was the truth though. Even if he did prefer for them to be safe, he was glad to have such comrades so willing to put themselves on the line as they were.

Task now ahead of them, and with the brunet taking the lead, the set off, albeit slowly and begrudgingly. Even though he had agreed to it, both of them, the two youngest couldn't help themselves when the occasion complaint passed over their lips. About the temperature, the darkness, and their own tiredness. All of these were received with rolls of the eyes from the other two.

There was one gripe, however, that the shield felt obliged to agree with; and that happened to be their pace. Of course, there was no helping that. With the strategist's shortened gape, it was expected, really. Yet, it was a lot slower than they had anticipated. Gladio had his suspicions that the blanket draped around the reduced man wasn't helping this either.

Taking a deep breath, the brute of a man quickened his pace in order to stride next to the brunet. "I know you aren't going to like this...but we need to go faster than this if we want to get back before the year is over."

At that, Ignis cut his eyes up and huffed to himself in exasperation. "As you can see, I'm going as fast as I can. So, excuse me if it's not to your liking, but there isn't much I ca- Hey!" he exclaimed as two unwelcomed hands grabbed under either of his arms. He was lifted before he could get the chance to protest. And his squirms of displeasure left the larger man chuckling to himself.

"Gladio, put me down this instant! This is uncalled for and utterly humiliating!"

"Sorry, Iggy, but this is much faster. Besides, with how fast your legs were moving, they would probably give out by the time we got there," he joked, no longer trying to cover up his amusement. This, as expected, pulled a couple of laughs and snorts from the other two. Though, they never once tried to spare the adviser's pride as the shield had at least attempted to do in the beginning.

Ignis could feel his face heating up quickly, and he wanted nothing more than to hide himself from everyone. This had to have been the most embarrassing thing to happen in all his lif- His eyes widened, and his features grew hotter at the sound and sight of a flash. There was no need to look over to see what it was; the snap of the blond's camera lense was all too familiar.

"Prompto! Delete that!" he demanded without a moment's hesitation. "Right now, or I swear to the six, one day you will wake up without the blasted contraption!"

The gunner just offered a sideways grin. "You know, looking at you being carried by the big guy, it's hard to take your threat too seriously. Sorry," he muttered at the furrowing of the man's brows, "but don't worry. Before you know it, we'll be trembling in fear under your reign again." He let out a somewhat disappointed sigh at the thought of that.

"If you show that to _anyone_…" Ignis warned, his eyes piercing straight through the 'younger' man's soul.

"You worry too much. Who would I even show it to. Or do I need to remind you that you three are the only people I talk to on the daily." He stepped closer, just enough so to lightly and playfully pat the brunet on the upper arm.

Letting out a small breath at the light-heartedness of it all, the other just shook his head. Though, he really wasn't kidding with that promise of getting rid of that camera should the blond break that promise of his. He didn't get to think about it for too much longer before the shield spoke up, cutting straight through the joyous moment like a hot blade through butter.

"Well...there it is," he announced, drawing the attention of the other three to gaze forward at the looming entrance. It was still a good distance off, but just the sight of it caused their blood to run cold and a chill to run down a couple of their spines. "Just a few more minutes, Ignis...and we'll get this all sorted out.

'I hope,' he added internally. He didn't voice it, but he was beginning to have his doubts about all this. What if they were wrong in all this. What if killing this enemy did nothing. If that wasn't how it was broken, and it had to be broken by some other means by the caster...then it was likely Ignis would be stuck like that forever. As humorous as it was and as many jokes as they were making, that wasn't exactly something they really wanted. What would that mean for his future? For the future of them all? If it meant having to leave Ignis behind...no, he would never accept that himself. He'd still join them whether they wanted him to or not.

Ignis must have felt the tension enter the larger man's muscles as he fell deep in thought because he gazed up at him. The look on his face beckoned the brute to meet that softer jade gaze. "Gladio, we need to get moving," he reminded.

The other hadn't realized the pause in their walk until the kid in his arms spoke up. "R-Right," he uncharacteristically stammered. Yeah, there was no time to waste, there was no room for the what ifs and concerns. They'd cross that bridge when they got to it. Lingering on the unknown would do little aside from lower his spirits, and in turn lower the morale of those surrounding him.

"So," Promoto piped in once they began to carry on, "anyone have any sort of plan yet...anything at all? I don't think just barging in like we did before is going to do any good." His tone was light, but it was plain to see it was only there to veil his nerves underneath. He looked to Noctis and then to Ignis, hoping at least one of them would have something. Even approaching the lair from a different angle seemed ideal in comparison to the first attempt.

"I have a small idea…" Ignis mused, mostly to himself as if he was just now formulating the plan. Though, it wasn't too far from the truth. He was originally going to think of what to do on the way, but when the others caught him and joined him...all previous intentions had gone fluttering out the winder. He didn't blame them. In fact, he was the fool for heading out to begin with. Still, it would have been nice to be able to think on the way over.

"Well, you gonna tell us or not?" Noctis asked, growing impatient by the second.

The adviser was hesitant...it was risky, and something he wouldn't be able to do himself. Meaning one of the others would have to put themselves on the line.

"We need someone to create a diversion."

"That's my middle name," the blond cut in, eagerness curretning under his words and putting a shine in both eyes as he rounded to look into the brunet's eyes. "Just tell me what I need to do, Iggy, and I'll make sure it gets done twice."

Said man chewed on his lower lip for a time, the cogs turning, grinding even. The others could practically hear them and see the smoke they released. He desperately tried to think of a better solution, but nothing was coming. This was the best he could come up with in such a short time. With all the distractions and happenings, there just wasn't room for more detailed and advanced thinking. This was rudimentary at best. But...it would have to work.

"You just need to keep his attention. He cannot know there are others nearby. So, whatever you have to do to make sure he is unaware of our presence...then do it," he explained. It was clear in his voice that he wasn't happy about this. None of them were, not even Prompto. Yet, he still jumped to the opportunity.

"Don't worry, I think I can handle that."

"Are you sure?" Noctis asled. "Maybe I should...I can warp, after all, I'll be harder to catch," he offered.

It didn't matter, Prompto was already dead set on doing this himself. "Nah, it's cool. Are you forgetting, I'm pretty quick on my feet, or do I need to remind you about our little training session the other day," he teased with his sideways smirk.

The raven returned the gesture and nodded his head once. "You got lucky then, here...here might be a different story. So, i'll ask again, are you sure you're ok with doing this? You know you don't have to, me or Gladio can.

Again, the gunner shook his head. "No, it's better if I do. You and Gladio are stronger, so...it makes more sense for you two to be the ones to do the sneak attack." He shrugged his shoulders as if it should be common knowledge. Well, it was to him at least…

None of the others spoke up, he could only assume it was because he hit the nail on the head. There was no need for the others to take on the job literally anyone could do. Looking undecided, Ignis forced himself to nod once in agreement. "Alright, if you're all in agreement, then I have no reason to object. But…" he added, calling for the gunner to look right at him. "Be careful in there, and do not take any necessary risks. If there is a single moment where you feel as though things are going south, you get out of there...understand?"

"Yeah."

They exchanged a few more words before the blond strolled off, casting one last look over his shoulder before he was gone and out of view.

"Looks like he's grown a bit since all this started," Gladio sighed, a touch of pride in his tone. "Can't say the same for you."

"I've had about enough of your foolish ramblings," Ignis replied, his wearing patience more than a little obvious. "We should go as well. Just make sure to stay far enough back so we don't get noticed." With a grunt, Gladio subconsciously pulled the small frame closer, almost protectively. It was already becoming easy to forget that this was technically a grown man in his arms.

They kept their pace just slow enough; off in the distance, they could hear the echo of Prompto's own walking. Even from the gap between them, they could pick up on how reserved the younger's steps were...slow, well placed and highly uncomfortable. Ignis knew this was a bad idea, it would have been Gladio that went. Though that wasn't something he wished either, it would have been easier to relax knowing that man could handle himself...not that Prompto couldn't.

The going was slow, and the chill of the stiff air wasn't helping to lift their moods any. All of them, to the smallest of breaths, were painfully silent as they trudged through the tunnels. The only sounds were the two pairs of steps as the clacked along the stone flooring; the occasional splash bounced off the walls when a puddle presented itself.

"Any minute now," Gladio whispered, as if the others weren't already aware of it. Everything was familiar to them, all of the sights still fresh in their minds. And...then it hit them, those distant sounds, the noises of combat, of running and of gunshots. With all the commotion, they now sped themselves up, no longer afraid of the presence being heard over the chorus of batter.

'Please be safe,' Noctis thought to himself, focusing solely on the shots of fire that rang out and straight to them.

Quickly, now, the three of them were soon standing before the entrance of the room, all of their eyes snapped to the two in the center, like a dance they moved around one another. Even from where they stood, it was plain to see the struggle the blond was putting up to keep himself at a safe distance. So far, he was succeeding with flying colors. There were a couple exhales of relief, but that didn't allow them for any chance to calm their nerves, this was just the beginning after all.

"You two ready?" Ignis asked. He supposed if nothing else, he could give the orders, stand on the sidelines and keep a close eye on everything. It wasn't much, but it was the best he could think of to do and better than nothing. "Ok, keep yourselves low and as soon as his back is to us, Noctis, you go first, got it?"

With a hum, the raven nodded his head once in confirmation.

"Good. Just wait for the perfect moment," the brunet muttered, more to himself than the prince. Impatiently, the three of them stood there, crouched and itching to jump in. It was almost painful to do so...to sit there and watch as the technically youngest of their group fought a worthy foe one on one while they did nothing to interfere. They had to keep telling themselves that this was agreed upon, that this was the best course of action.

His chest tightening, Ignis' eye widened just as the enemy started to turn completely. "Now!" he commanded in a hushed, yet harsh, whisper. The movement was almost instant as Noctis flew forward in a flash of blue. The moment that last letter passed over his lips, the raven was off.

It was a direct hit, Noctis smiled to himself as the end of his blade stuck directly in his shoulder. A screech of pain and surprise escaped the creature. The pitch of it caused the other three to wince and cover their ears. All aside from Noctis did so; his hands were too busy trying not to lose his grasp as his target thrashed and bucked, desperate to get the intruder off.

"Easy," the prince growled through bared teeth.

This finally gave Prompto the chance to take a few steps back and catch his breath. But he didn't allow himself too much time before stepping back in and lending what little help he could. If nothing else, he could continue to be a nuisance to keep his full attention off his friend.

In the back, both the shield and adviser continued to watch, now waiting for when it was their turn to step in. Ignis gripped something tightly at his side, the tautness of his frame called for the brute to glance curiously down at him, one brow raised.

"Got something in mind?" Gladio muttered under his breath.

For a moment, the smaller man said nothing, his eyes barely wavered, never faltering from their focus. "Sort of," he muttered. "Gladio, I have another idea...but I'm going to need you help with it. And don't tell me 'no' because it's the best chance we've got right now. We must take full advantage of this guy's lack of awareness."

He cut dark jade eyes up at the shield, meeting the flaring amber and waiting for the sign of approval. As he expected, there was reluctance, but it was soon followed by compliance.

"Alright, fine. I have a feeling even if I weren't to go along with it, you'd find something even more reckless than what you're planning to do." He said this with a light and half shrug, getting a small and knowing chuckle from the other. That's what he thought. "So, lay it on me," he breathed out, leaning closer to Ignis to get all the details.

Gladio listened intently as the plan was whispered over. Mostly he nodded along, but his eyes were narrowed with skepticism. It was reckless...reckless on everyone's part. This wasn't just something that was a potential danger to Ignis, but it was one to all of them. However, the brunet sounded confident enough in everyone's ability not to get caught up in the trap...so he supposed he would have to believe in them as well.

"You're a fool, you know that?" he laughed humorlessly. "You're a fool, but hopefully a fool that knows what he's talking about." He forced his shoulders to relax, just now realizing how stiff they were in that moment. He shouldn't be this much on edge, he was never this anxious before a fight. But the stakes of this one...they were higher than most he could remember.

This would work, it had to work.

His jaw tightened in preparation for the command he knew would soon enough come, his muscles tensed back up as his eyes shifted from the child in his arms to the enemy just a few yards away. To be honest, he was just thankful things were falling into place thus far. He only prayed their luck would hold up for the next part.

Then, Ignis drew in a sharp breath, and the next second, he was giving the command. "Now, Gladio!" he called out. There was no hesitation, the brute didn't think about what he was doing, if he did, it would have never been done. In one fluid and swift movement, he launched the adviser in the air, aiming him to leap right over the foe. Gladio's teeth clenched to the point of threatening to break as he watched it all unfold from there.

'This is going to work,' he kept telling himself over and over again, trying his damnedest to convince himself.

Ignis' hand gripped the object in his hand tighter, the coolness of it teased his senses, and he clutched it for dear life until he was directly over the foe. "Noct, Prompto," he called down, hoping they would take the hint fast enough. When both of their gazes met his, they lit with understanding as they turned to flee, wanting to be sure they made it just out of range.

Drawing his arm back, Ignis chucked his arm forward, straight down with as much force as he could muster. It wasn't much compared to what his normal body could accomplish, but it was enough to where it couldn't be avoided by his target in time. In a cloud of bluish mist, ice grew and encompassed the creature. Small guttural sounds still tore from its throat as the majority of its body was swallowed by the frigidness.

A direct hit!

Ignis allowed himself a small moment of victory, but that feeling was instantly snatched right back away as he noticed how quickly the floor was coming upon him now. There was no time to right himself; he was still not used enough to this body to catch himself. His eyes closed tightly as he got ready for the painful impact he knew was coming.

Instead, he was met with a tight grasp, arms wrapping around him and a small jolt ran through him with the landing. It wasn't the most graceful and both of them ended up rolling on the ground anyway, but it was prefered over the expected result.

"Gotcha," Noctis panted out as he pushed himself up and helped the other to his feet as well.

"Thank you, Noct," Ignis muttered a bit shakily. His nerves were going haywire, all of this was becoming too much, it seemed. His heart was racing and his mind was buzzing near uncontrollably. He took a deep breath to calm himself and brushed himself off.

Unfortunately, he didn't have the luxury of taking his time to get back on his feet to say before his attention was instantly brought back to the task and problem at hand. Taking a deep breath, and cautiously moving forward, he stepped closer to the foe. Both of the others close to him moved in a sense to prevent him from getting too close, but they fought the urge to go all the way with it. They Exchanged a wary glance though as they stepped back in place to allow the brunet to do what he was planning.

"Alright, Gladio," he muttered, but loud enough for the brute to easily hear him.

The man didn't need the cue though, he was already approaching the now frozen enemy with his blade raised and resting on his shoulder. There was a small smirk of satisfaction playing at the corner of his lips. Oh yeah, he, as well as the others, he was sure, he was going to enjoy this. Still, there was the ever lingering doubt that mocked him from the inside.

Just like before, he shoved those unwelcomed tidbits of 'what if' aside and lifted the heavy weapon high above his head. Realising his breath, he allowed his arms to drop, the full weight of the metal came crashing down on the fragile ice. Glacier and all it contained cracked and groaned under the force and pressure of the strike. Fissures trailed down, complaining loudly before the shattering sounds reached out. The lot of the flinched, blocking their faces from all stray and flying shards that went astray.

For a moment, after the last crack dissipated from around them, silence swirled around them. That was it...it was done, it was over. But, it didn't feel as though it was. The three 'oldest' all looked over at the adviser, hearts sinking at the lack of any visible change in his appearance. Still, they gave it a few moments. It did take a while for it to take effect, perhaps the same was for it wearing off. The patience they all had was already thinned enough; they weren't sure how much more it could take. They gave it a few minutes...then a few more and there was still no results.

"I-It didn't work?" Prompto questioned, being the first to say what was in all of their minds. Nothing was changing. He was still small, still a child. The disappointment was tangible, the anger and frustration that wafted off all of them was near physical.

"We should probably just head back…" Ignis suggested, not waiting for the others to reply or react before taking a few slow steps towards the direction they came. He didn't look back, he couldn't stand the look that was on all of their faces. It was a mixture of sorrow and pity, two emotions he just couldn't stand to see at the moment. "There's no telling what else is down here, I don't think it's a wise idea to stand around and wait," he called back, tone laced with his own small amount of anger.

The others were hesitant, but soon enough, they did as they were asked. Heads hung low, they sauntered after the adviser, whose own steps were slow, almost dragged. Not a single word or syllable was uttered as they made their exit. No one looked back, and no one dared to quicken their pace. Whatever speed Ignis had set for them was the pace they were going. He was given his space; the aura flowing from him was something none of them wanted to interfere with. Though, none of them blamed him, they were pissed enough for him.

The walk back was a slow one, and the first signs of daylight was alright showing itself over the horizon, almost like it was mocking them, a rela slap in the face. It was supposed to be a sign of relief, but it was quite the opposite. It was just rubbing their failure in their face.

Maybe killing it was a mistake after all; they had rushed into it. To put it lightly, they fucked up. And it was all Ignis' fault. He slowed to a stop as the revelation entered his mind. It was his fault. He should have never suggested going back. Sure, it was satisfying to know that could finally rest easy knowing it was dead, knowing it was no longer a threat. But that wasn't the reason for returning.

"I'm sorry," he breathed out, the words were mumbled and incoherent.

"What?" Noctis asked as he lifted his gaze for the first time since leaving the cave. He thought he heard right, but he had to make sure.

Ignis let out a breath of exasperation and turned to face the rest of them. His eyes rested heavily on each of them. "I said I'm sorry. We should have never gone back, it was nothing but a waste of time," he repeated. "We should have just let it be and thought things through first. But no, I was in a blasted hurry to lift this damn curse, and now…" he let out a shuddering breath, trying to keep his waning composure. But, that was long gone by now. "And now, we have nothing to go off of. We messed up, and I offer my deepest apologies.

"You can't be serious!" Noctis blurted out, tossing both hands in the air to show how frustrated he was with the brunet's rambings. "You're sorry? Do you realize you aren't the one to blame?" he questioned rhetorically. "Or do I need to remind you how that fight went down the first time? You were trying to protect me. All because I refused to listen," he admitted. He hated to say it, but even he had to come to terms with the facts every now and then. "Look, you and Gladio...you're right, I'm too reckless sometimes."

He ignored the amused snort that left the shield's form with that statement. That was putting it quite lightly.

"Can't we just agree it was no one's fault?" the blond stepped in, keeping his voice light. "These things happen, no one is to blame. Not like we knew this was going to happen or a possibility. A lot of weird things have happened since we left on this trip. I mean...a lot." He glanced over to the brute, silently begging from some backup on this one.

Rolling his eyes, the larger man was obliged to step in as well. "For once, Prompto's right. We couldn't see this happening beforehand. So, to say one person is at fault is ridiculous. But, I do agree with Noct that he's a reckless idiot, but that was already a given."

The prince bit his tongue, but it was too late for him to deny that.

"Yeah, yeah, we should just head back already," the raven muttered, moving to take the lead. "Don't worry, we've gotten out of other situations, this one is no different. I'm sure someone knows something about this. Cor, maybe? Luna? There are a lot of people I'm sure are qualified to lend a hand. So...let's just get back and decide one what to do from there."

"Spoken like a true king," Gladio smirked playfully. "You ok with that Ignis? Or do you want to continue to sulk?" He folded his arms over his chest and looked down at the child who did the same but for a different reason.

The adviser exhaled heavily through his nose. "Fine, if that is what everyone wishes to do, and if we are all on the same page, then let's do it. Not like things can continue to tumble downhill from here." He reached down to readjust the blanket still draped around himself, reminded of just how he must have appeared. But, he didn't care anymore.

Then, just like on the way there, Gladio scooped the kid up in his arms again. This time, there was no complaint form the brunet; he had truly given up all his fight. The shield didn't comment on the concerning shift in mood from the strategist. He didn't need to, it was felt by all, and just like that, the morale was plummeting back to rock bottom.

Even though Gladio set the new pace, the trip back was still a slow and tedious one, The dread of the events too depressing and devastating for even the youngest two of the group to crack jokes. In fact, they seemed to be lagging behind, kicking sand and rocks as they went.

By the time they reached their camp, no one was saying a word. That moment of hope they had on the way back, it had completely dwindled away. That's all it was, a short burst of false hope, hope that none of them felt and that had abandoned them long ago. Silently, they began gathering all their things, packing up as if on autopilot. The three of them took the heaviest of the equipment, leaving Ignis with just a few things to have to carry on his small frame.

The man - kid - took one step and stopped dead in his tracks as a series of coughs racked his small stature.

Instantly, the shield turned on his heels to cast a worried glance his way. "You alright back there?" he asked, getting ready to put all his baggage down to rush over. "Iggy?" he questioned again when he only got more dry hacks in response. By now, the brunet had dropped all his things and was on his knees, shoulders trembled from the force of near choking.

"Iggy?" Prompto muttered, concern gripping every fiber of his being as he, too, dropped all his things. They clattered to the ground as he sauntered over and dropped to his knees next to the ailing adviser. It wasn't long before the others did the same and Gladio practically dragged the other two back to give Ignis some space.

"Give him some air, will ya?" the hield mumbled as he placed a single hand on the upper part of the adviser's back. He patted it lightly, but it did nothing to alleviate the other's obvious discomfort. Before long, he was on all fours and the coughing grew worse. Gladio's eyes widened as realization flowed over him.

"Step back," he instructed, voice the epiphany of seriousness. The others didn't question it as the three of them moved a couple feet away.

Just in time to narrowly avoid the puff of smoke that surrounded Ignis, causing all four of them to release their own string of coughs and hacking. Tears stung their eyes as dust and sand intruded their gazes. Gladio was the first to recover as he forced his eyes to open and pushed his attention back to the brunet.

"I-Ignis?" the shield stammered after clearing his throat violently.

Said man slowly pried his own eyes open to return the amber gaze. He blinked through the thick haze before things finally cleared up enough for him to make sense of everything. All it took was one small movement for him to notice the change in the way his clothing hung on him...it was fitting...like it should be. He then gazed down at himself. He was back to normal...everything was as it should be.

"What?" he mouthed in surprise.

The rest were at a loss for words as well. So...it did work? It was just a slow reaction and took its sweet time? They all scratched their heads, but none of them were complaining. They were just confused and more than a little shocked.

Ignis pushed himself to his feet and brushed himself off. The blanket that had been draped around him nearly slipped from his form, but he was quick enough to grab a hold of it once again before it had the chance to drop completely. Face fully flushed pink with embarrassment, Ignis lifted his gaze to the brute.

"Would you mind handing me my pants…?" he asked, the request slightly muffled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ~AND I BELIEVE IT IS TIME TO CLOSE REQUESTS~
> 
> (I apologize, but they're starting to really add up now. xD)
> 
> And, I'm sorry and hate to do this, but from now on, I will message people before I do your story, and if I don't get a reply, it will be skipped until I hear from you again. Only reason I feel the need to do this is because multiple times, I have written a request, and the person would never show up again. And, honestly, these take time, and if the person that asked doesn't stick around, then I don't want to take the time to do it.
> 
> Queue as of now:
> 
> 55 - xYukiNoYume  
56 - __C'estletemps_  
57 - Mirajane92  
58 - Brooke3131  
59 - Free_Bird  
60 - MasterThiefWolf
> 
> ~IF YOU REQUESTED AND YOUR NAME IS NOT ON THIS LIST, PLEASE LET ME KNOW, I SOMETIMES LOSE TRACK~


	55. Tutors and Tea

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Set in High School AU. Gladio is having a little bit of trouble with his math. Good thing Ignis is there to lend a hand.  
Fluffy Gladnis~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Request from: xYukiNoYume
> 
> Beta read by: Sinikka_von_Wolperting and markofthemoros
> 
> My Tumblr for questions and concerns  
And my Patreon for early access and access to polls.
> 
> I am so sorry it's been so long, like a few months. ;w; I have no idea what happened, and there is no excuse for it taking as long as it did. But, as I promised, I will get through these...eventually.

He kept his head bowed, forced his attention to remain on the notes before him. But, Ignis' spine tingled as he felt the eyes of another on him. The young man chewed on his bottom lip nervously, pen tapping against his desk as he tried his best to focus on lecture. However, it was becoming increasingly difficult when he finally spared a glance in his onlooker's direction. For a split second, his jade gaze met amber and he swiftly looked back away.

The brunet shook his head lightly and readjusted his glasses. It was getting closer to the end of the year, which meant closer to exams. He could not afford to get distracted right now. He wouldn't have his perfect grade put at risk. Closing his eyes, he clung to every word spoken, completely blocking out everything else. He wasn't sure how long he did this, was unsure how much time had passed until the shrill sound of the bell jarred him back into reality.

Ignis jolted slightly, just now noticing the small amount of moisture that had collected at the corner of his mouth. Heat rising to his cheeks, he swiftly swiped it away. Just in time for a weight to lean against his desk and draw in his attention.

"It's a miracle," the larger of the two chuckled, "the brainiac actually fell asleep in class."

Flustered, the bespectacled student clumsily pulled all his papers into a pile and stuffed them in his bag. "I-I wasn't asleep," he muttered, stealing a glance to see the smirk he was rewarded with for his lie. When Gladio didn't move right away, the brunet paused and gazed up at him. "Can I help you with something?"

Now, it was the other's turns to acquire a modest pink tinge to his cheeks. His right hand drifted to rub the back of his neck. "Well," he mumbled, looking away for the first time, "you're good at math...and me, not so much. I'm failing, actually." He tried to shrug nonchalantly, but failed in doing so. "Anyway, are you doing anything later?"

Ignis blinked a couple times, unsure if he heard correctly. Was he...asking for tutoring? This was unlike him, to say the least. But, who was he to refuse? With their future positions known to the both of them, they'd have to get along and all. "What exactly are you having trouble with?" Ignis asked, allowing his curiosity to take over.

Gladio simply shrugged and pursed his lips.

Alright, everything it was then. Ignis sighed, fully aware of the work that was in for him if he agreed to this. But, he nodded in thought and slipped his bag over his shoulder before getting to his feet. After taking a couple steps, he looked back over his shoulder,

"Very well. I'll give you a call later, and you can come over. If you're late, I will take it as you not taking this seriously, and you can forget about the help," he warned with a slight smile. The flash of relief that flew across the shield-to-be's face when he realized it was a joke was nothing short of amusing.

The walk back to his apartment was longer than usual; his head was filled with that short interaction. He wouldn't exactly say the two of them were close. Sure, they had conversations and worked with one another every now and then. But this was the first time either of them had asked to meet outside of school or their studies. Ignis' fingers tightened around the strap of his bag, finger tapping nervously.

Pushing the front door open, he dropped his things next to the table and practically collapsed in the nearest available seat with a sigh. He couldn't sit still for long though, there was so much to do, he had to get things ready and make sure the place was clean. Not that the place was exactly messy or anything, but one could never be too sure.

After only a few more seconds, he pushed himself back up and got to it. Straightened up what little things were out of place and spread out his own notes across the kitchen table along with some blank sheets and some pencils. With the way Gladio was in class, he had a feeling he wouldn't be the most prepared when coming over here either.

With a deep breath to mentally prepare himself, he retrieved his cell phone. Then, with little thought, he pressed 'call'. With every ring, his heart picked up its pace, and his foot tapped quicker against the floor.

"Pick up," he hissed out.

As if on cue, he heard the gruff 'Hello'.

"Gladio," he greeted, noticing that his pitch was a tad higher than usual. He hoped it wasn't as obvious to the other as it was to himself. "Everything is ready, head over as soon as you're able. I want to get at least a few hours of studying in." He did what he could to keep things sounding as formal as possible, but his palms were becoming slightly slick, and the fingers of his free hand were twitching with his festering nerves.

He didn't wait for a reply as he ended the call and slid the device to rest on the table. It shouldn't be more than a few minutes before Gladio would arrive. Ignis wasn't used to having people over, it wasn't often he had others visit. He almost slapped himself for having almost forgotten. Of course, he should put tea on. What kind of host didn't have some sort of refreshment ready?

As the kettle cried out, the light 'tap' on the door easily cut through, and the brunet again found himself startled with the noise. "Coming," he called out, swiftly turning the burner off and rushing over. Pausing only for a second to make sure his person was in order, he eased the door open and gestured for the other to step in.

"I just made some tea...if you'd like some."

"Yeah...that'd be nice," Gladio nodded, making a beeline for the table before dropping his bag unceremoniously on the floor. He took his seat and waited patiently as Ignis returned, two steaming cups in each hand as he took the chair across from him.

Once everything was situated, he gathered a few of his notes and passed them over. "Here, I think these would be the best to start with. It's the basics, but I think once you understand these formulas then the rest of it will make a lot more sense." Gladio's fingers glanced over his own in the process, causing Ignis to dart his attention away and clear his throat. "Just, uh, let me know which part you're having trouble with."

Gladio took his time looking over the numbers, but he found himself unable to focus on anything other than the watchful presence of his tutor. He could feel those observant eyes on him, as if looking through him.

With a deep inhale, he placed the notes down and reached for his tea to take a small sip. Unsurprisingly, the beverage was phenomenal. It was sweet and bitter at the same time. He was sure he tasted a hint of lavender as well, but not enough to be overwhelming. He couldn't help but to take another drink, this one a lot more generous than the first.

"Not bad," he complimented after the third taste, the one that cleaned the cup out.

"I made due in the time I had," Ignis shrugged, plucking the cup from the other's hands to fix more. "So, are you understanding the formulas? Or do you need them to be explained?" he asked, trying to get the point of this meeting back on track.

The answer was hesitant, perhaps a bit embarrassed, "Yeah, sorry, but I'm not understanding any of it." His hand dropped back to the table with a soft 'thud' as the other went to brush through his short, dark locks. "Every time I think I do, it just slips away, and then it makes no damn sense again. Tell me again why we even need this stuff. I know for a fact I'm never going to need it again," he mumbled and leaned back with a light shove.

"Because it's a requirement. All of the Kingsglaive need to pass, and you're no exception," Ignis replied as he set the new cup of tea down.

As the calming aroma drafted up, Gladio's shoulders visibly relaxed. "Thanks." He took the beverage back between his hands and this time just relished in the heat for a while. "Ok, come on and make sense of this shit for me," he decided and sat back up. The sooner he understood this stuff the better. He still didn't see the point in it, but it didn't appear as though he really had much of a choice in the matter. He scooted a little to the side to allow room and heavily leaned on one arm.

"Here you go, explain away."

The moment Ignis was next to him, Gladio was painfully aware of the crisp and fresh scent of whatever brand soap the guy used. It was strong, but not overpowering. Still, it was enough to momentarily cause him to lose focus. It took a few seconds for him to realize that Ignis was actually talking.

'Shit,' he blinked his way back into clarity.

"Are you getting it so far?" the brunet asked, looking over with arched brows. "Gladio?"

Said student grumbled incoherently as he forced himself to straighten up. "Um, kinda, more so than before, I guess. If that counts for anything." Which wasn't a complete lie. He still probably couldn't solve any problem, but it was a start.

"Are you?" Ignis asked knowingly. "Were you even listening to a word I said?" He backed up by a foot and crossed his arms over his chest. "You asked for my help, now I expect you to take this seriously." He set the other with a hard stare, his thin-wearing patience evident. "Let's go over it one more time. Now, please, pay close attention."

Gladio sighed once in exasperation as he prepared himself. That was enough messing around, he really had to focus now. His graduation was on the line, and if he had to spend one more year in that godforsaken class, he was sure he was going to lose his mind. He couldn't afford to mess this up. And, he wasn't sure he could handle another long-winded lecture from his dad. He suppressed a shudder at the thought.

This go around, he listened to every word spoken...every clear and well-spoken word. It took some effort not to get distracted by the scent of the other so close, but he managed to do so somehow.

"Is it making more sense now?" Ignis asked after giving it some time to really soak in.

"I guess," Gladio grumbled, scratching the back of his head. He understood it more than he had, but that wasn't saying a whole lot. By now, he could probably solve half a problem...up to a certain point, but anything beyond that was pushing his luck. Most of the numbers he was looking at was jumbling in his mind, and now the only thing he could watch was the movements of the other's hand as it wrote and stroke with such precision and ease…

Shit! He lost track of his words again.

Gladio shook his head and took one hand to slap his own cheek. The sounds caused the other to jump slightly in surprise and pause. Jade gaze was now on the larger student, eyes widened with confusion and interest.

"Everything alright?" he questioned, single curious eyebrow arched.

The shield-to-be quickly nodded, a bit on the eager side. "Y-Yeah, was just nodding off a bit," he nervously chuckled. Then he looked to the flash of offense cross the brunet's features and raised both hands in defense. "N-No, not you, you're not boring or anything. Just, well, I didn't get much sleep, ya'know? Plus, this isn't my favorite subject, I'd probably be getting distract-tired no matter who was teaching it!"

"Distracted?" Ignis repeated, the corner of his mouth turning up a small amount.

'I really need to think before I speak,' Gladio thought to himself with an inward scowl. "Yeah...distracted by sleep," he corrected, now avoiding eye contact. He hated the uncertainty in his tone. The large teen pressed his back more firmly against the back of his chair and tried to sit up. Clearing his throat, he looked back to the papers before him. "Shall we, um, continue with the lesson?"

Ignis blinked lazily a couple of times as his expression faltered. "Of course." He took a deep breath and began explaining again. But, this time, it was he who could not keep his focus on the equations. He would periodically pause, something miniscule and easily missed, but Gladio noticed each and every hiccup in his speaking. Then, during another pause, the brunet flickered his gaze in the other's direction, and for a split second they met one another's eyes. The connection was only made for no more than a couple seconds before Gladio's mouth fell agape and he swiftly turned his attention away, heat rising to his features.

Dammit, this wasn't like him, he wasn't supposed to get this anxious over nothing. His heart fluttered, and his mind was racing, not a single thought would remain at the forefront for long before the next shoved it aside.

Without knowing what else to do, he grabbed for his cup and took a long, hasty sip of its contents.

It wasn't helping; new warmth was rising to his cheeks and he had a nagging feeling it had nothing to do with the tea. The liquid went down roughly as he fought the urge to splutter it all over the place when Ignis shifted, accidentally moving a bit closer. The small choking sound had the more intelligent student perking up, an expression of concern on his face.

"Are you quite alright?"

Gladio nodded and clumsily - damn near slammed - the ceramic cup back down. A few drops of brown liquid splashed over the rim and onto the table. Now it was him who jumped up. "S-Sorry, I'll clean that up." Any excuse to get him out of here and a chance to breathe and collect himself.

As if he could get off that easy.

Ignis placed a hand on his shoulder to prevent him from getting up. "Don't worry about it," he sighed. He didn't sound annoyed; there was definitely a hint of amusement buried somewhere in his tone. "I'm the host, I shall clean it up. It's not a problem. You just stay here and look over what I taught you and study it," he instructed, reaching over to scoot the papers out of the way of the spreading puddle.

The moment Ignis was out of sight, Gladio relaxed his shoulders with a heavy exhale, a shaky one at that. He needed to pull himself together. This was getting ridiculous. Both hands clapped against either cheek, as if the force of it would be enough to rid himself of his nerves. He should have known better than that. He leaned back and closed his eyes and muttered to himself, "Pull yourself together." He needed to get over these feelings; they would have to be working closely together in the future for the rest of their lives, was he really going to be this nervous around Ignis for all the years to come?

As he picked up on the returning steps, he took a deep breath and held it, willing himself to calm down as the other returned, cloth in hand. The brunet made quick work of the mess, not saying a single word as he swiped the liquid up.

"I think I'm finally getting it," Gladio muttered with a light and relieved chuckle as he leaned forward to glance the problems and solutions over once more. Now that he really thought about it, Ignis was right, there really wasn't much to it at all. "Give me another one to do on my own now," he requested, handing the pencil over and swiveling the paper to face the other.

Mouth upturned, the adviser-to-be did as he was asked and gave Gladio a relatively simple one to start off with.

He hesitated for a moment as he looked it over, the gears in his head turning almost audibly. Then, as everything clicked into place, he began scribbling on the paper, there was a few times where he erased and corrected himself, but Ignis stepped back and allowed him to figure it out on his own. The moment the pencil stopped moving and Gladio shifted back a bit did the brunet finally step forward once more.

Ignis scanned it thoughtfully, nodding to himself as he inspected each step. So far, so good. It was sloppy, but he seemed to grasp the concept well enough. "Quite well done," he finally said, lowly. "You appear to understand it anyway, unless this was just a fluke?" He glanced in the other's direction to see him shrug and blush lightly. "Well, just to be sure, perhaps you should do a few more, and a couple more difficult ones, just to be sure."

There was a light groan at the proposition, but no objections. He needed it. So, he gathered himself up and gripped the pencil in his fingers. With each equation he solved the easier it got and the faster he was able to solve them. Until it came to the more difficult ones, those he had to pause and think...and ponder on...and think some more. After about a minute of trying to figure them out on his own, a low and frustrated growl escaped his throat as his free hand wandered up to grip at dark locks.

"Just take a deep breath and really think about it," Ignis instructed. He pulled a chair in closer and sat himself next to Gladio. "Take it slow, you don't have to get it right away."

He was right, he didn't. But, he wasn't sure, he guessed with Ignis watching like he was, he felt as though he had to make some sort of progress. Not that he hadn't already, but he was doing so well with all those others, and now, all of a sudden-

His heart halted, his amber gaze drifted down to see a slender hand over his own as it helped the trembling in his hand to settle down. To be honest, the light touch wasn't doing him any favors, but he didn't urge it away. Instead, he watched as Ignis moved their hands over the paper and he guided the pencil along. Gladio was captivated by how, even as clumsy as his own hand was, Ignis was able to make the marks smooth and graceful.

Molten eyes widened as it started to make sense, and he nodded along until the last stroke was made and Ignis removed his hand with a soft smile.

"Easy as that."

This time, when Ignis glanced over, he was very aware of the light pink hue that adorned the other's face, which only broadened his expression.

"Understand?" he asked, leaning in and breathing the single word over Gladio's ear. His eyes narrowed at the way he shivered and brightened at the sensation. He couldn't help himself and let out a small chuckle at the reaction. Gladio didn't appear too amused, however.

Before the dark-haired teen could respond, Ignis was already on his feet and gathering all the materials, cleaning and the like. "It's getting late," he informed with a quick nod in the clock's direction.

"Right," Gladio agreed, getting the hint. "I, uh, should probably be going then."

"That would be ideal if you don't want to be walking in the dark." As Gladio turned to make his leave, he was stopped by a hand landing lightly on his shoulder. "But, if you have any other subjects you need help with, then I'm free tomorrow night as well. All you have to do is ask." And with that, a shudder ran down his spine as he felt lips glance over his cheek. It was so fast, for a moment he wasn't sure if he just imagined it.

Now, a full beat red - he was sure - he reached a hand to rest over the cheek, where it seemed to be the warmest.

"Y-Yeah, I'll let ya know."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ~AND I BELIEVE IT IS TIME TO CLOSE REQUESTS~
> 
> (I apologize, but they're starting to really add up now. xD)
> 
> And, I'm sorry and hate to do this, but from now on, I will message people before I do your story, and if I don't get a reply, it will be skipped until I hear from you again. Only reason I feel the need to do this is because multiple times, I have written a request, and the person would never show up again. And, honestly, these take time, and if the person that asked doesn't stick around, then I don't want to take the time to do it.
> 
> Queue as of now:
> 
> 56 - __C'estletemps_  
57 - Mirajane92  
58 - Brooke3131  
59 - Free_Bird  
60 - MasterThiefWolf
> 
> ~IF YOU REQUESTED AND YOUR NAME IS NOT ON THIS LIST, PLEASE LET ME KNOW, I SOMETIMES LOSE TRACK~

**Author's Note:**

> If anyone has requests as well, feel free to leave a comment or PM me with what you want. I just ask that it's nothing x rated, but romance is still alright, and just know that I'm best with hurt/comfort, but it doesn't have to be that, can be just about anything.


End file.
